Sorceress Successor
by Black Supernova
Summary: Tsuna ran away from home, finding no comfort in her own mother who believes what she only wanted to believe. She wound up in Tomoeda, and met 17 years old Mizuki Kaho who gave her a fresh start in life, while learning the truth about herself, and magic. Now years later, Vongola found her...and how will they react to this kind of successor? Fem!Tsuna Slight CCS X-Over
1. Chapter 1

The Child of Flames

12 years old Sawada Tsuna, a sixth grader from Tomoeda Elementary that Spring Break, popular among her peers for her high scores, getting a spot among the Top 20 and a perfectly capable athlete. She grew up with the Mizuki Family who adopted her as sending her back home will damage her more, given her past, with students at her year and teachers spellbound as to not remember she was a missing person and not chuck her to the police.

She ran away from home at age 7, months after her father left for abroad, working overseas because she got bullied and picked on for being too clumsy, and poor school performance. It wasn't she's slacking...she finds it hard to remember things bar the very easiest ones. It doesn't help that every time they hand back quizzes and exams...scores are announced, so she gets embarrassed in class. It was worse every dismissal time. She gets bullied and picked on, and at home she only gets scolded for picking fights when she really didn't. Fed up with the world against her, she ran away from home one night, going about randomly until she ended up in Tomoeda, a small town near Tokyo...a mere two-hour bullet train away in fact.

She was found by her foster sister, Mizuki Kaho who took her in and she and her father helped her since, since she refused to go home despite Missing Persons ads in newspapers. But in exchange, she must 'do good'. She was raised by Kaho's father, Shien as at the time, his daughter was studying hard for College Entrance Exams in order to enter a course that will enable her to become a Teacher. She learned that she has vast magic potential, a Sun-Based Magic focusing mostly on fire, but it will not stop her from learning other sun-based arts. Just that, she was 'sealed' and a sloppy-done job at that.

A cross between Divination and Psychometry was performed, revealing her identity and relevant information, ancestry, and her problem...needless to say, Tsuna was furious. Upon getting unsealed, as the sloppy seal damaged her brain's balance and learning abilities, she began working hard in a bid to shed off her clumsy, no-good past that ruined her two years of life. She worked hard learning Fire and Light-Based Magic, as well as working on her own grades, athletic ability, and things she wanted to excel in. She worked real hard to fix herself, while still reeling and healing from what damaged her.

She has no social life in school despite being popular for her grades and athletic ability and 'being cool', focusing more on getting better and stronger that Kaho took time to raise her as being bitter all her life will never make her happy no matter how many accomplishments she's got. If she wanted to be happy, she should learn to love and appreciate herself in order to fully grow. Her kind and understanding, nurturing nature made Tsuna lament why wasn't Kaho her mother instead. Well, given their age gap, its impossible for the College Student to be her mother even if she had the ability to be one...and she loved her Foster Family for accepting her and helped her. She did her best to be a good girl, good daughter and good student, knowing about her Sky Flames and its ability to Assimilate, Petrify or Freeze, and learned Fire Magic, some fields of Quintessence, Photokinesis, Geomancy and Chlorokinesis...all of which, fall under Sun Magic and as the magics of Sun and Moon the Mizuki Family studied is based on Clow Reed's teachings, Tsuna's powers sembled the following cards Firey, Light, Earthy, Flower, Create, Power, Thunder, and Sand, all of which, she worked hard to have proficiency in, aiming to be a Master someday. She wanted to learn Divination but its beyond her ability, being a Moon-Based Magic. But she did learn Moon-Based Magic through lecture to have knowledge, and be a capable teacher if she wished.

Right now, she stood before her foster father, who performed a Divination for her regarding her future.

'W-well?' Tsuna gulped as her foster father put down his magic staff.

'Tsuna...you know that you belonged to a Mafia Family.' Shien told her as Tsuna nodded. Of course she damn knew since she was adopted and it horrified her until gradually, she just accepted it. 'You must rush home to Namimori as your fate, as well as the fate of your Guardians is tied to you, and that town. Without you...two of them will die young, and one of them will never find a place to belong to...and that town will play a big role in your future.'

'Is there more?' Tsuna swallowed audibly.

'Hai...you are now an eligible heiress to Vongola as your predecessor's sons are all killed, and his adopted son is ineligible. To be a Vongola Head, you must have Sky Flames, the Hyper Intuition that came with the bloodline, and six Guardians who will protect you as their Boss. I know who they are but I will not tell you...you must find each other yourselves.' Shien advised her. 'For they will be your true friends. And two weeks from now, the Sun Arcobaleno Reborn will be sent to you as your tutor and he employs Spartan Methods of teaching...so do be careful.' Tsuna's face fell at her foster father's smirk of amusement.

'Erm, I think I'll have him find me first.' Tsuna shuddered. 'I don't want to be alone in that town with him!' she exclaimed. 'Why couldn't the Ninth send me a sane, reasonable teacher?!' she exclaimed, whining in dismay.

'Well, apparently his methods made a good capable boss out of a clumsy boy too.' Shien chuckled. 'In just four years, he became an excellent boss loved by his subordinates, fixed his family's financial issues and became the third most powerful family in the Vongola Alliance.' he explained. 'He will be of great help to you in the future as well. You have this year to prepare for your destiny, Tsuna-san.'

Tsuna sulked gloomily.

'I don't want to be a mafia, I want to be a sorceress like Kaho-neesan!' she whined unhappily.

xxx

Two weeks from now...

One Kinomoto Sakura released Clow Cards all over Tomoeda...

'...Oh dear...someone accidentally released the Clow Cards...two of whom took residence in our shrine no less.' said Tsuna, scratching the back of her head as one meshed with their grounds and the other took residence in their Sacred Cherry Tree.

'...no kidding...it'll take a while to clean up as there's only one person who possesses a Sealing Wand too, to be appointed by the Sun Guardian.' Shien sighed. 'Hopefully these cards are only around town. It won't be funny if they scattered all over Japan...well, for now with my and Kaho's presence, they should lay dormant. The cards that now took residence in our shrine are Moon-Based cards. And as we possess no sealing wands either, they will not see us as a threat...unless we strike first, that is.'

So the family left the two cards alone for the most part in a 'don't bother me, we won't bother you' basis...although Tsuna visits where they are, and leaves food and a juice pack each day...while watching over the town in her own way.

Sure enough, she herself has to interfere when Autumn came...around October when many Clow Cards started showing up...and it started when a card around their house got active.

'Aiya...' Tsuna sweatdropped as they felt a card go active while preparing dinner in the kitchen. 'Looks like SHE came and it agitated one of them.'

'Can you go take a look, Tsuna-san? It won't be funny if there are civilians involved along with HER and they may need to forget what they saw.' Shien instructed her.

'Hai, Shien-sama.' said Tsuna as she ran off to their yard...where a maze appeared. 'Oh dear...so you're Maze-chan neh? And for those kids to come here, they would want to buy charms considering the latest trend since the ones we make ARE effective.' she giggled as she summoned two charms from the store before going in. She used her senses to locate the missing people and found two young magicians with a civilian girl, and another girl separated from them. As soon as they went into a Tunnel, she saved the lost one first.

'Who?!' she gasped out as Tsuna smiled before putting her down in the bridal style carry she carried the Chinese girl with.

'They'll be here soon...and we wait.' she said kindly as they hid in a corner...and when they heard footsteps, she gave her a gentle nudge, so the younger girl went left...

'Shaoran!' she cried happily.

'M-Meilin!'

'It's great we're together again!' said a girl with a soft yet beautiful voice.

'B-but how'd you get here?' Tsuna took her cue as Meilin said, 'Someone saved me!'

'By who?' Shaoran asked her as Tsuna finally let them meet her...and they're surprised to see a taller, older girl wearing the same uniform they do. 'Who are you and why are you here?!' he asked warily as he went at front to be a shield for the girls if needed.

'T-that uniform...she attends the same school as us?' Sakura croaked out upon seeing the taller girl who has really long brown hair, and an androgynous beauty. This means they'll see her around!

'I live here of course.' Tsuna chuckled. 'My father and I are pretty surprised when this maze appeared out of nowhere...and we knew someone is trapped so he asked me to save you. Maze-chan lived here in peace with us and it likes the food I make...so when it showed its true nature, we knew someone capable of sealing showed up, so Maze-chan must have thought, 'Rather than get sealed again, I'll trap them in my world for eternity'. The only way to defeat Maze-chan is finding an exit from its dimension.' the kohai choked at that.

'S-so its because of us that it showed up?!' Sakura stammered out as Tsuna's words dawned on them hard.

'Hai.' Tsuna nodded. 'Now then kohai-chan, what cards do you have?' she asked Sakura and Shaoran together. 'We need to be fast to get out of here for you guys to keep up with me in speed...and I need you and your boyfriend...'

'B-BOYFRIEND?!' Sakura and Shaoran freaked out in stunned shock and embarrassment, while Tomoyo went (O.O)

'Shaoran is MINE!' Meilin shrieked defensively, glomping on Shaoran to Tsuna's amusement.

'Er...where was I...' she chuckled. 'I need you and Shaoran-kun to combine your powers...and two cards I have in mind if you hopefully, have them.'

'What do you have in mind, senpai?' Tomoyo asked Tsuna curiously.

'I'll say if you tell me your cards because without those two cards...or at least one missing, we'll go too slow and Maze-chan will make our life hard if we didn't escape on time.'

'...I have Thunder and Time.' said Shaoran.

'I have Windy, Fly...' Tsuna smiled and clapped her hands, stopping Sakura before she could continue.

'Lucky~! We can do this after all!'

'You mean we need Windy and Fly?' Shaoran mused as Tsuna nodded before continuing.

'Yes. Kohai-chan here will be doing most of the effort on this particular spell while you will support her by transfusing her with your own magical energy to keep her going...because Kohai-chan's task is to elongate her Sealing Wand for all of you to ride on, and she will use Fly.' Tsuna explained. 'But because all of your weight is too much for both Kohai-chan and Fly-chan, Windy-chan's job is to keep you afloat and boost your flying speed. But it costs a lot of power so this is where Shaoran-kun comes in. That is the job of you two. As for me...I will create us a one-way road to exit and we need to fly really fast.'

'C-can we do that?!' Sakura gasped out. 'Can I use two cards like that?!'

'Hai. You need to elongate your wand with your will for increased seating capacity and combine Fly-chan and Windy-chan to your desired effect.' Tsuna instructed her. 'Combining cards takes a lot of energy and moreover, their abilities must complement one another in order to form a new power, be it offensive, defensive or supportive.' she explained. 'If you use two cards that don't complement each other, it'll backfire and backlash at you and results will be nasty, so study your cards at home.' she advised. 'I'll give you a minute to get ready, Kohai-chans.' Sakura and Shaoran nodded.

'I hope I can do it...' said Sakura nervously as she took out the needed cards. 'Please help me...just this one time!' and she tossed both cards. 'Wind, give us the strength to stay afloat and boost our flying acceleration and speed! Fly! Windy!' she commanded as her staff elongated, the wand sported bigger wings and Windy was right behind, but Sakura gasped in exhaustion with wobbly knees before Shaoran propped her up and began his transfusion to keep her up.

'Don't lose consciousness! Stay awake!' he barked as he helped her sit on the staff with her at the head, Shaoran behind her, Meilin behind him, not too happy about the arrangement and Tomoyo behind her.

'Here I go!' and to their stunned disbelief, she released an incredible amount of magical power in the form of pure, hard flames and released it in the form of a powerful wave blast, blasting holes through walls, and they began their flight, with her feet emitting flames like rocket boosters. 'Keep up with me in speed kohai-chans! And ojouchan should have enough magical energy to at least seal Maze-chan quickly once we're out of here!'

'Hai!' Sakura cried as they flew faster and faster to keep up with their senpai and upon getting out, they quickly got off the staff and Maze is starting to form a new and stronger maze in retaliation.

'Hurry, it's starting to form another maze!' Shaoran gasped out as Sakura braced herself.

'Return to thy true form! Clow Card!' she commanded and captured it in card form. 'Phweee...' she sank on her knees in sheer exhaustion as the card flew to Tsuna, with Maze choosing her as its owner.

'The card...' Shaoran gasped out as Tsuna gave it to Sakura.

'Here.' she said as Sakura shakily took the card. 'Its not my destiny to possess Clow Cards.'

'E-eto...arigatou, senpai...' and Sakura fell asleep.

'O-oy...' Shaoran twitched. 'This is no time to fall asleep...'

'Oh dear...' Tsuna giggled. 'Will someone write her name on Maze-chan and will someone carry her home?'

'H-hai!' Tomoyo chirped as she took out a pen from her bag, placed the pen in Sakura's hand and used her hand with a little help to write her friend's name on it and Shaoran thought it'd be his job to carry her...

'SAKURAA!' a man called out as a tall teenager ran into the shrine grounds and saw his sister fast asleep. 'Sakura! What happened here?!' he demanded frantically.

'Maa maa, don't get mad Touya-san.' Tsuna gently chided the older boy. 'She had quite a rough afternoon, so let it slide? So she's your little sister I'm hearing about...Sakura-chan, is it?'

'I have every right to get worried chibi, she's late!' Touya grumbled crossly, crossing his arms. 'She always informs if she'd be late!'

'Hahahaha...for now let her off because its beyond her control this time.' said Tsuna enigmatically. Touya just scowled. 'For now, you'd be worrying about a good excuse to tell your father.'

Touya grimaced and awkward atmosphere ensued.

'Grrr fine...' he sighed tiredly. 'But YOU'LL take my bike home!' he said as he picked up Sakura.

'Oh no! The Charms!' Meilin cried as she ran to the store, only to find its closed. 'Ohhhh!' she groaned. 'It's closed!' Tsuna took out two charms from her pocket.

'Here you go.' said Tsuna as to Meilin's delight, she got a charm and gave one to Touya.

'Don't need it.' he said, pushing it back.

'The girls came to buy one...and that's 300 yen, both of you.' Meilin face-faulted and Touya sighed. So it was his sister who wanted one!

xxx

'Tsuna, I know what Sakura got into this time...but must she really face this alone?' Touya asked the girl who is three years his junior.

'She has to. Its her fate and destiny to succeed...and she's destined to succeed her predecessor as the world's strongest magician.'

'Why couldn't it be anybody?' Touya complained. 'Why couldn't it be someone who wants it?'

'Well, fate is fate, destiny is destiny and both form the inevitable. At least Sakura-chan is responsible and not using her powers willy-nilly.' Tsuna reassured him. 'Had she enjoyed having magic, we'd be stepping in if there's a witness. Right now, she's working on keeping magic secret from the town and dealing with mischief. We usually clean up the damages if any.'

'...I see.'

'Well, just be there for her when she needs a supporting hand the most.' Tsuna patted his right arm which was closest to her.

Then Touya blinked and frowned.

'And why did she buy a romance charm?!' he growled, numerous annoyed tics appearing on his head and Tsuna gave him a deadpan, flat stare.

'...ask her, why would I know that?'


	2. Advice from Senpai and the Sighting

Advice from Senpai and the Sighting

The next day, at school...

Tsuna was having a peaceful lunch break on the roof when she saw a beam of light appear and pointed at her. 'Humm...they're probably tracking me down...wonder what they want?' she mused thoughtfully as ten minutes later, the kids from yesterday showed up. 'Hello.'

'Senpai, we have so many questions to ask...' said Sakura as they sat with her. 'And we want you to meet someone too.' out from Tomoyo's thick hair, out came...a yellow winged plush doll. 'This is Kero-chan.'

'Oh my...' Tsuna tilted her head to the side in sheer curiosity. 'A familiar?'

'No I'm not! I'm the Guardian of the Seal, Keroberos!' Kero-chan sputtered out as Tsuna blinked again.

'But in the picture books...' Tsuna croaked out, unable to believe the claim much to Kero-chan's indignant huff.

'W-well, all Elemental cards aren't captured yet so I'm stuck in this form!' Kero-chan grumbled. 'But once all four elements are captured, I'll have my true form back!'

'Heee...' Tsuna crowed out.

'So are the people in your family powerful magicians?' Shaoran asked Tsuna.

'I'm not at liberty to tell about them but I can tell you about myself at least.' said Tsuna. 'For each magical family, their arts are kept a sacred secret. But for me who is a first-generation magician since my family isn't of magical heritage, I can tell you about myself.' she said.

'I can feel your presence...you're a powerful Sun-Based user aren't you?' Kero remarked thoughtfully as Tsuna nodded.

'Yes...my focus is fire, light, life and earth magic.' said Tsuna. 'Those are my powers. Someone like me cannot become the strongest magician in the world because its not my destiny.'

'Not your...destiny?' Sakura blinked owlishly.

'Yes...only magicians who possess both powers of light and darkness can become truly the strongest, Sakura-chan. Shaoran-kun.' she said, looking at the two magicians. 'The first person to achieve that title was Clow Reed and all his descendants possess such potential to become just like him. Me, a child of pure Sun-based powers cannot ascend to such rank as I lack the magic power of darkness, but I'll still be pretty powerful if I trained hard enough and mastered all my abilities.' she explained.

'Your words from before formed a contradiction though...' Tomoyo pointed out and Tsuna inwardly thought the girl is sharp.

'Ahaha, I guess I wasn't clear enough.' Tsuna smiled. 'The family who lives in the shrine are my foster family who taught me magic.' she said. 'My original family are purely ordinary people. That's what I meant by 'first-generation'. That's why I can't talk about my foster family's background.'

'I see...if a pupil divulged their master's secrets to an outsider, its a betrayal of the worst kind as magicians keep their arts secret and only unique to themselves.' Kero mused thoughtfully. 'It's law.'

'Aa. It's like that.' Shaoran added his two cents. 'Some fool did that once and my family weren't too happy. Punishment was enacted.' he said grimly as Meilin shivered.

'Y-yeah, that was back when we were kindergarten isn't it?' Meilin asked her cousin who nodded. 'I've never seen auntie so furious!'

'Punishment?' Sakura blinked.

'It depends on the master in how to punish pupils who betrayed them.' said Tsuna grimly. 'Let's just say they can never enjoy the art ever again and leave it at that.' Sakura and Tomoyo exchanged looks.

'Phweee...'

'W-well enough about that part,' Kero shook his head. 'What do you intend to do with your power? You're a really strong one, especially in your Fire Magic. I felt it because its my main power as well.'

'Well, live life as normal.' Tsuna smiled. 'We magicians should keep our power a secret while blending in with humans. If humans find out, they would want magic yet not everyone can have the gift. Bitterness will become resentment and soon hate. Hate for what they can't ever have and hate those who have them. It was what started the Witch Hunts after all.' she explained softly. 'Moreover we choose our pupils as not everyone can be trusted with magic. That is something you kohai must remember as someday, both of you will become master magicians and eventually have your own pupils. As for me about what to do with my powers...well, it'll definitely make my life easier considering what future awaits me.' she sighed. 'I have a tough and rough road ahead of me when I hit middle school...what a pain...' she lamented gloomily.

'So...you're fated for something big?' Tomoyo asked Tsuna who nodded unhappily.

'Yeah. I did a little divining and its what's in store for me. And I'll be leaving Tomoeda next year after I graduate elementary for it.' she said as she looked up. 'My fate is in another town...where my journey begins.'

'Ah...'

'Sakura-chan, Shaoran-kun, the two of you have big destinies as well.' Tsuna told the younger magicians. 'Fate and destiny come hand in hand in the form of inevitability. And if you find yourselves facing difficulties...just think of fighting for what makes you happy to motivate you and your chances in your favor. Just an advice.'

xxx

Some days later...

'It must be that time of the year again, Tsuna-san.' Kaho smiled as she watched her foster sister read books about cakes. 'At this time, everyone makes cakes in all year levels, right?'

'Hai...we're still deciding what cake to make and we're still racking up on what to do tomorrow~' Tsuna chirped happily. She loves cakes but the thing is, store-bought ones tended to be too sweet or too much cream...so she tended to make her own and just right.

'Well, good luck...you'll need it.' Tsuna choked at her foster sister's words.

"Oh man, something bad will happen tomorrow wouldn't it?"

And so, in Home Ec. that morning...everyone's recipe was followed and checked for measurement accuracy down to minute detail...

But...upon returning after lunch is over...everyone took out their cakes and let them cool before decorating. But upon taking a bite to enjoy their hard labor...

They all choked.

'Auuuuugh!'

'TOO SWEET!'

"That can't be right, everyone's cakes ended up sweet?" Tsuna frowned. She understand if its a group or two but EVERYBODY?!

Then her sister's words from last night...she groaned.

She made a beeline to her peers when she got wind they too, suffered 'Sweet-itis' the next day.

xxx

'You too?!' Sakura gasped out as Tsuna nodded while twitching in annoyance on the way home from school.

'It's understandable if one or two groups screwed up but everyone screwing up is unnatural. Especially if most people in my class have the most Math nuts in it. They'll never screw up in measurement even if they choke on it.' the older girl grunted crossly. 'We have a naughty troublemaker in school.'

'So you suspect a Clow Card?' Shaoran frowned as he narrowed his eyes.

'But what card would pull a prank like this?' Tomoyo wondered aloud.

'Maybe it likes sweet things.' said Sakura. 'I'll ask Kero-chan at home. I wonder what card would pull a prank on our cakes.'

'We'll cook again next week.' said Meilin. 'Today was a screw-up!' she huffed. 'I was hoping Shaoran would eat my cake!' she grumbled unhappily.

And so, next week...

It was up to Sakura and Shaoran as Tsuna griped that it happened in her class again yesterday, so when today's their turn, they stayed behind to catch the mischievous card who was on a sweet crusade on making their cakes sweet. Tsuna could not help them out as she has Computer Class after lunch so they're all on their own...and Kaho watched Sakura's growth as a magician when she could.

Come November...

'Kaho, Tsuna,' said Shien. 'The Town Mayor started an event called Tomoeda Quiz Rally and our Tsukimine Shrine is one of the Rally Spots.' he said.

'Oh, I heard of that yesterday when the principal asked for volunteers, so I volunteered.' said Kaho.

'I'll do the shrine!' Tsuna piped up. 'Why can't you do it though, Shien-sama?'

'I was called for a divining job in Kyushu for a week so I can't do it.' said Shien wryly. 'Well you two, you'd best report to the Town Hall before sundown once you came up with ten very difficult questions involved with your locations.'

'Oh dear, this will be a bit difficult...' Kaho said sheepishly.

'Ten very difficult questions about our post...awww!' Tsuna pouted, scratching her head. 'And we got two hours and some minutes for this?!'

After racking up all her knowledge about what she needed to know as a Miko, she was able to make difficult questions about shrines and how they work. She's nervous about her role in the quiz. And the event came where she waited in her post, dressed as a junior miko apprentice...and learned how BORING the job is when she hardly sees people.

'...This job is BOR-ING!' Tsuna huffed as she was bored. 'Maybe Shien-sama got himself an excuse to skip on this job and I thought I'd be entertaining smart people but its been three hours now! Are all questions in other stops too hard and they all gave up?' she sighed gloomily. 'If so we should be informed by now...'

Soon, the Chiharu-Yamazaki pair came.

'Ahhh about time someone came, I was about to DIE from boredom.' she sighed in relief.

'You mean we're the first ones here? Lucky~!' Chiharu chimed happily. Tsuna gave them their trivia which Chiharu managed to answer to which, Tsuna awarded them with a stamp. half an hour later, Sakura and Yukito came.

'Senpai?' Sakura blinked as she saw Tsuna.

'Fufu, time for the quiz!' Tsuna said with a smile as she put up a picture of a Tori and inside it is the large number 88. 'This is done every year...what is it?' the two began thinking...then Yukito got the answer.

'It's Ohenro isn't it?' he piped up as Tsuna smiled.

'Correct!'

'Ohenro? What's that?' Sakura blinked owlishly.

'It's a pilgrimage where people travel on a journey around Shikoku and visit all 88 temples on foot, Sakura-chan.' Tsuna explained. 'Devotees travel on foot while some use vehicles and trains to get it done faster and safer.'

'Heee...'

xxx

Christmas...

Given their religion, the Mizuki Family really don't bother celebrating Christmas. For them its just another holiday and ordinary day. Not that they'd tell anyone that, lest they earn a few raised eyebrows. Tsuna just used this opportunity to train more in her magical skills and power. She wanted to be a powerful sorceress reaching her peak before her twenties.

That way, she can enjoy living in style while managing Mafia Life. She's in for a life of crime and its her blood.

Shuddering, she hoped she could just be a normal sorceress using magic to make life easier for herself and others. But her misfortune was being born to a mafia bloodline so she has to live with it.

xxx

Spring, a week after Tsuna graduated from Tomoeda Elementary School...she went on to Middle School in Tokyo, and puberty hit big time. She grew taller and started to gain her 'femininity' once her thirteenth birthday hit last year at Fall and being sporty and doing a lot of stretching paid off. Now at spring, she's a blossoming young teenager. She deliberately went to Tokyo to be easily found, once Vongola gets wind she's been missing for years.

She intended on going back to Namimori if and only if the Mafia found her here, which is one more month from now according to fortune-telling.

She was nervous as she wore a white shirt over which, she wore a sailor-collared open yellow-orange jacket that's secured with an orange ribbon, and a mid-thigh-length black skirt with an inch-wide orange strip near the edge of the A-line skirt. She also wore black tights and shiny black mary janes. Her long hair went past her hips and she took to being a girl seriously, getting her first hair salon treatments, manicure and pedicure. She also took to wearing lip gloss and powder on her face, and arranged her fringes to look like that of the family ancestor, Vongola Primo.

She felt being naughty and would enjoy mindscrewing around when she could, when on the third week of the month...one week more, they will find her here and around that time...all schools in Tokyo have a freaking cultural festival...and her class has to do a traditional Japanese musical dance. She quickly signed up for dance as she had knowledge of traditional dances, while she didn't study traditional Japanese music, due to lacking in time as she juggles school, sports and magic training even though she wanted to study it too. Oh well, in her time as an adult, she could!

xxx

May 1st...one week before the Cultural Festival...

Pandemonium occurred in Vongola when Reborn came to Namimori as planned and went to the Sawada Residence only to find that there's not a Sawada in that house, and learned that Nana spent weeks looking for her missing daughter who vanished the night before, even with the police but there's no missing girl to be found. However there IS one thing...

Nana and Tsuna had a big fight.

Tsuna came home dirty with scrapes and bruises, and Nana chided her for being a tomboy and picking fights, which Tsuna vehemently denied and said she was bullied at school and picked on...and shouting match ensued that the neighbors, the Tsujitanis and Yamaokas heard them...who confirmed that the famed 'Dame-Tsuna' is indeed a bullied child in school whose children were three years older and sometimes, had to save the poor girl. Nana, stunned that her daughter really WAS telling the truth and her daughter ran away...she worked to find her, wanting to say she's sorry for not believing her but she vanished in a matter of hours, and Nana was a depressed wreck since, out of guilt that she didn't side with her daughter when she needed her most...and according to the neighbors, Nana has a problem of 'believing what she only wants to believe' so she's hard to get along with sometimes that it was hard talking to her, she didn't have friends as a result and now her daughter ran away from home because of it, finding no solace and comfort after a bad day and just added to her plight. Nana stayed with her parents when she gave up hope after 4 years and had no idea how to contact Iemitsu who works overseas and still sends her money monthly, but she had no real use for it in her depression.

Tsuna was bullied and picked on in school because she was super-clumsy and did poorly in school. Reborn saw the grades and they were indeed, atrocious. However, the teachers noted that she was doing well back in Grade 1. She was along line of mid-7s to mid-8s in grades and good in physical activities but when she turned 7, it was like 'an alien kidnapped her and replaced her with a clumsy creature with little intelligence' they got worried and asked Tsuna who started crying and said that she's having trouble remembering things unless super-easy and there's a blank in her memory that scared her, but her mother didn't believe her and she's having trouble walking that she trips...on a straight floor and terrified of the stairs, she clings hard on the rails just to go to class. Everyone in her year level found her plight amusing, made fun of her and finally, the bullying that teachers had plenty of students in Detention every single day and had many PTCs.

This was what Reborn reported to Nono and Iemitsu that a search in Japan was declared. First they would search databases. If she is alive, her name would appear in school databases or if dead, be on the registry of the deceased as a Jane Doe but a 7 years old little girl.

They hacked every school and dead registry at CEDEF until...

'I found her!' said Lal Mirch as she found records. 'She's in Tokyo, in Sonozaki Gakuen in Tokyo Prefecture.'

'How'd she end up in Tokyo all by herself when Namimori is miles away from that place?!' Iemitsu sputtered incredulously while at the same time, amazed at his daughter's sheer tenacity, stubbornness and happy she survived.

'Well, according to records, she was adopted by the Mizuki Family in Tomoeda, a small town not far from Tokyo.' Lal told him. 'She attended Tomoeda Elementary and had barely-passing grades but as years go by, she became one of the Top Students that by the time she's in Grade 6, she graduated Top 4. A far cry from her Grade 1 year's performance sent by Reborn.' she said wryly.

'We're flying to Tokyo now!' said Iemitsu urgently. 'Tell Reborn to go to Tomoeda, and send him a current photo! Give him the location! I'm still up on Nono's offer that he'd lend us Fenichia!'

xxx

'This is it, Tsuna-chan.' said Mizuki as the promised day came. 'You will meet HIM.' Tsuna groaned over breakfast that day.

'Oh, joy.' Tsuna grumbled. 'Tokoro de, you're going to set IT on them this morning, right?' she asked her smiling sister who smiled a tad too sweetly. 'Oh boy, I hope it goes easy on the kohai-chans...that thing is an attack card so its a tad...moody. Why'd Clow make moody cards out of _Attack Cards_?'

'Because its fun?'

'Or he enjoys screwing with us for kicks.' Tsuna drawled. 'Lucky we're not his descendants or we're screwed too.' Shien let out a hearty laugh at that. Tsuna really is not Clow Reed's descendant so yes, she's very, very safe from his mischievous version of mentoring.

'Now now, don't say things like that Tsuna-san...he may be known as mischievous and eccentric, but he's also known for planning ahead years after his death.' he said. 'And if that person is his chosen, no doubt he would have planned a number of things for succession to his title and everything that made him Clow Reed. Kaho, its time.' he said.

'Yes...time for me to play.' Kaho smirked as she vanished with the Moon Bell.

'Yare yare...I got to go too Shien-sama.' said Tsuna, standing up. 'Today is final rehearsing for my performance too.'

'Good luck, Tsuna-san...I heard you got the lead role.' her foster father smiled as Tsuna gave him a sheepish one.

'I got chosen for my naturally long hair and my role was such that the wig will fall off no matter HOW careful! And sometime soon I'm going to get a black hair dye job because all of us must have black hair!'

And so...that day, Tsuna went to school, aware that she's being stalked while she rode on her bike.

"That's it Arcobaleno...follow me!" she thought as she came prepared, blocking her mind from his mind-reading arcobaleno powers. And she's fully aware that her would-be tutor, is baffled that he could not do what he usually could on her.

Snickering, time for rehearsal!


	3. Reunion! Father and Daughter

Reunion! Father and Daughter

Reborn observed his student who left her home at Tsukimine Shrine, hours after he left Namimori, a day after Vongola had a field day about her runaway stint and the cause. He looked at her photo from when she was six years old...and a photo Lal sent him, her current 13 years old self and she grew up to be quite the androgynous beauty. Her fringes were styled in a similar way to the founder's but the hair framing her face was longer. Her long hair also went past her rear, bound at the tip with a white ribbon that she wrapped around her neck like a scarf as for it not to get entangled in her bike's wheels and she wore the color of fire in her uniform.

The colors of sky flames, ironically.

He followed her to Sonozaki Gakuen where...ye gads...

If firsties have orange clothes, sophomores have red and white ribbons and seniors have purple.

Its like seeing Sky, Storm and Cloud in his eyes, given the powers of his young charge who went straight to the auditorium wherein there's a rehearsal for traditional Japanese music and dance, and all students dressed in fancy dancer's kimonos and white tabi socks...and Tsuna is in a fancier, more elaborate attire...and it was easy to guess she has the lead role.

She danced gracefully too, her long hair accentuating her movements, spreading out like a fan and swinging as she moves. This was a far cry from the clumsy girl she used to be and she worked hard no doubt, to get to where she is today.

He then went to Tsukimine Shrine where she lives according to records, and found her foster father, Mizuki Shien, writing calligraphy on scrolls of washi paper.

'I know you are there, old one.' Shien called out. 'Why not come inside where its warmer?'

Reborn stepped inside.

'...you're pretty powerful.' Reborn commented warily as he stepped inside, feeling Shien's powerful presence. 'I know you know what I'd like to ask.'

'About Tsuna-san, is it? Then I suggest you have a recorder ready, old one.' Shien told him as he put away his calligraphy materials. 'It's a long tale about my young charge.'

And so, Reborn listened after turning Leon into a recorder.

'I'm listening.'

'No interruptions as I go.'

Thus, Reborn learned about his pupil and a shocking fact. Plenty of them, too. But there are bits Shien kept from him and the Arcobaleno knew that.

xxx

Three and half days later...CEDEF came to Reborn's Hotel in Tokyo.

'Welcome.' said Reborn. 'I had a chat with Tsuna's foster father three days ago.' said Reborn. 'He told me everything and it all started when six years ago, his daughter who was studying for College Entrance Exams found her. It was a rainy night in Tokyo and some extension, Tomoeda Town. She was on her way home when she found Tsuna sleeping under the King Penguin slide in Penguin Playground. And she was injured, tired and weak from running all the while screwing up on her clumsiness, no doubt. Out of moral obligation to children, Mizuki Kaho brought her home where she slept for two more days until she woke.'

'And we all know the reason why she ran away so let's skip that.' he continued. 'Tsuna refused to go back to a world where everyone was out to get her and against her, and made it clear she hated and despised everyone who wasn't her teachers and the few people kind to her. However, the people who found her...are also Flame Users. But in no way involved with the Mafia when I checked their background. They're just a family of Shinto Priests and Priestesses who possess genuine mystical other abilities beyond our understanding.' he said. 'They used their flames on Tsuna and found that there's a seal...a sloppy and shoddy seal at that in her head, connected directly to her brain.'

'Seal?' Iemitsu knew what Nono had done when a normal family visit went south all those years ago.

'Aa. Shien, her foster father said it was a bad job that it damaged her brain.' Iemitsu looked horrified and a few jaws dropped. 'Her brain's centers concerning balance and learning ability are suppressed and damaged. The seal was removed and she was on recovery for three years using both flames and magic...and eventually, she excelled in school where she worked hard to shed off her past. They also taught her about flames, and trained her in how to use...magic.' Reborn sounded like he really didn't want to say it. 'I refuse to believe in magic but he told me what Tsuna learned under them. She already knows how to use her flames and what he called 'Sun-Based Magic'.'

'...sun-based magic?' Lal asked him incredulously.

'What's that, maggot?' Colonello asked him, baffled.

'Magic under the sun involves magics of nurturing life after creating it. Magic under the moon involve magics of creation, illusions, divinations, time, darkness, other things that don't fall under the Sun.' Reborn explained. 'Tsuna knows Fire Magic, Quintessence, Photokinesis, Geomancy and Chlorokinesis, all of which can create, nurture and support life. She wound up with a family of magicians who are also flame users.'

'Is there proof that it's real?' Iemitsu asked him warily.

'Aa. He showed me proof magic exists and showed me a flashy one that temporarily broke my curse before I got reverted as my life is connected to my status as Arcobaleno.' said Reborn to Lal and Colonello's shock. 'He told me something he kept from Tsuna.'

'What did he tell you?'

'A prediction. 11 years from now, Tsuna who is our boss by then, six of the Arcobaleno myself included with the exception of Lal and the Sky Arcobaleno, and countless thousands will die. Yes, you're all dead too.' said Reborn grimly as all of CEDEF froze. 'Nono and the Varia are still alive though, as well as all of Tsuna's Guardians who went in hiding. Two famiglias responsible for this merged to become a superpower, more powerful than Vongola, usurping our position in the Mafia World and began a Vongola Hunt after Tsuna's murder. He could not tell more than that.'

'Meaning to say, we have to be very strict as tutors and be strict on ourselves.' said Iemitsu grimly. 'Dying 11 years from now...eh? All of us here...that's not funny at all. Did he say what two families will merge and cause our fall?'

'He didn't. He could not say. 'Something' stops him. Each time he tries, I would see that an invisible force is choking him. I would see an invisible hand grip his neck in warning by seeing a hand-shaped pressure on him.' said Reborn in frustration. 'He can only say that much without giving too much away. He can't give out the cause, hows, whats and whens. All we can do is prepare ourselves, get stronger and prevent at least our deaths.'

'No kidding, maggot!' Colonello shook. 'I don't like the idea of being hunted like a dog! Vongola Hunt my foot!' he growled with a shaking fist and nobody's happy about it.

'Aa. However, this world changed when Tsuna ran away from home and learned magic. She was under constant orders to protect her mind with a spell. The Mizuki Family protects their minds and presences and also protected certain students in Tomoeda Elementary. That way, they could never be found even when Tsuna becomes our boss And their secrets will be protected. That man will never think of looking into us so certain secrets are safe. We have 11 years to prepare...and we better make the most of it. Tsuna already knows how to fight, she just needs experience in fighting opponents, and learning how to run the organization. Her guardians however...need to train and education from scratch.' said Reborn wryly. 'Colonello, can I ask you to tutor a man of interest I found to be her Storm?'

'Who is your candidate?'

'Gokudera Hayato. Poison Scorpion's younger half brother known as Smoking Bomb due to his style of using cigarettes to light up his dynamites. He's waiting for my orders but recent events screwed up plans as you can see.' Reborn sighed tiredly. 'I'm counting on you for that kid since I have my hands full with Tsuna. Moreover she's aware that she's been sealed and the sloppy seal is the cause of her year-long misery...and fully aware who did it so yes, she has a grudge.'

'A-at who?'

'At Nono.'

'At Nono?!' Oregano gasped out. 'Why?! She never even met the man!'

Iemitsu came clean as to WHY but he had no idea it led to THIS.

It all started with the aftermath of the Cradle Affair and a depressed boss...

xxx

At school, on the Cultural Festival at Sonozaki...

CEDEF and the Arcobaleno watched Tsuna's class presentation with Iemitsu whipping out a video camera to record everything...considering his daughter is in the lead role. The reason? She has no need to wear a wig to fit her role as she has the hard part and no fear of a wig falling off when her hair is au natural so she really could pull off the lead role.

It was a beautiful show but hey, a father can be biased, can he? When the show was over, CEDEF left as Tsuna's class was the only show they came for anyway.

At the changing rooms...

Tsuna got the costume off her, washed her face off of make-up, put on powder and lip gloss then wore her uniform.

'...it'll take hours at the salon to remove this hair dye...had I really used one.' Tsuna sighed as she looked at her black hair. 'Black is not my hair color.' she said ruefully, yanking a lock of her hair playfully. 'Buuut I'm not the type to dye my hair in chemicals. Fufu.' her hair turned to caramel brown before turning black. 'This is convenient~!' and she left the changing room to go to Tomoeda, having told her teacher beforehand that she promised some former kohai to watch THEIR play.

That's a half-lie.

She WANTED to but the play will be messed up by the two strongest Clow Cards in existence there's no point in coming so she'd rather go home...and face the music.

She took out her bike, and rode home...get changing into clothes to go to the kitchen to make cake, when she got a magical butterfly messenger. 'Hummm...they're waiting for me huh?'

xxx

Reception Area/Guest Room...it was a typical guest room with an alcove, low table and zabuton...and CEDEF enjoying matcha tea, senbei and one of her cakes.

Given WHO'S the company, she balked.

She prepared for this, but seeing them in person...!

'Tsu-chan...!' Iemitsu choked out as Tsuna looked like a constipated, smiling person.

'...its been years.' she said wryly as her father got up to hug her and he clearly missed her. 'So, the whole story is three men got themselves killed in the lamest way possible for a Vongola, one is ineligible and currently a human popsicle so that leaves me, a middle schooler as you're already Leader of CEDEF, you can't juggle both.' she said wryly while her father clung onto her like a lifeline.

'Tsu-chan!' Iemitsu chided.

'Yep, she definitely knows.' said Lal wryly. 'Lamest ways possible indeed, one would think that the first-class education of Vongola would make them know better but like any men of high breed, they got too arrogant and overconfident. For all their skills and knowledge, they died in the lamest ways possible.' she scoffed snarkily. 'You better be different Sawada or I'm kicking your ass!'

'I grew up in a simple life and being simple means you understand stuff better as we simple folk know what sensibility is.' Tsuna snorted. 'Now then, I have my own terms should I accept this post.' she frowned.

'...terms?' Oregano blinked while they braced themselves.

'One, my own apartment. I don't care what it looks like as long as it can house six people, myself included given what Shien-sama saw in my future as my _houseguests_ besides Reborn, a complete kitchen with a fridge big enough for a cake or two and a bathroom. Two. I don't want anywhere near that house and that woman by a few blocks. That's it. Nothing too crazy.'

'Tsuna, your mother already regrets what she's done.' Iemitsu told her in an attempt to piece his family back.

'Too little, too late for that. Kaho-neesan was a far better mother if it wasn't for that ten year age gap. She believes what she only wants to believe which I believe you made use of to keep your real employment from her.' Tsuna told him stiffly much to his abashment. 'I was seven years old who can't even turn to their own damn mother and my father is overseas who-knows-where, what else am I supposed to do?' she grunted. 'I don't even know where teachers who helped me live, I can't turn to them either and given my state at the time, I wouldn't remember even if they told me their address. I'm all alone. So yes, apartment it is or that old geezer will stay in his post till he croaks. What'll it be? And he still owes me big for brain damage so I'm in a place to make him pay for it.' she said coolly. 'Oh, the next time you want a shot at sealing memories, study under a damn mind, mental and brain expert first! Isn't that what Illusionists are for?'

'...she holds a grudge indeed.' Turmeric sweatdropped.

'No kidding.' said Colonello in a deadpan sigh.

'I already talked to Nana given what we gleaned about the neighbors in our town...and she's really working hard to change.' Iemitsu tried again. 'She was really depressed about everything now that she knows what everyone thought of her that we didn't know about.'

'Hell no and that's final. That apartment far away from her or no Decimo. Remember there's Vongola on the line and thousands of subordinates will run like headless chickens without a head.' said Tsuna coolly with an expression to match. Iemitsu balked. 'Your move, dad.'

'...I guess you won't forgive her just yet.' he sighed in defeat. 'Alright. I'll get you an apartment but who are the five other guests?'

'Poison Scorpion who'll be shacking with me because Reborn's my tutor and I heard they dated some time back...'

'HAH?!' all of CEDEF squawked at the black-clad Arcobaleno who shrugged.

'What? She's my fourth lover.' several jaws dropped in comical horror.

'I don't think I want to know HOW that happened.' Oregano shuddered. While Lal and Colonello are perfectly understandable, Reborn's case is NOT, no excuses.

'Then there's a kid named Lambo, followed by another child named I-Pin and finally, Ranking Fuuta.' Tsuna elaborated. 'Yep, they're my guests till high school graduation day.'

'I see...Ranking Fuuta is a pretty important person in our world, we'd be lucky to have him on our side.' said Reborn thoughtfully. 'Why'd he go to you?'

'Protection and I can definitely give him that.' said Tsuna. 'Being hounded for life to be locked up in a glorified gilded cage for your power isn't a fun life and he knows I'll never do that to him. Sometime this year he'll be shacking up with us. So yes, we have that many guests. I'll stay here to withdraw myself from Sonozaki and wait till dad finally gets me an apartment...or if there's none, buy me a piece of land and I'll make it myself.'

'You can make a house?'

'Yes, but I can't make plumbing, gas and electric connections...so yes, it'll be literally just a house and furniture.'

Iemitsu swore he'd really find her a house, even suggesting she stay in their old home as it can definitely house six people but she refused, thinking its a trap from him.


	4. How to handle Depression?

How to handle Depression?

In that extra one week in Tomoeda after Tsuna dropped out of Sonozaki due to moving after completing her Prelim Exams at least, she mostly stayed at home, training hard on her abilities while enjoying baking cakes. Reborn found that his pupil absolutely loves cakes and anything related to baking, reason why she asked Iemitsu for a complete kitchen. The Mizuki Family never ran out of snacks since she bakes when she's in the mood for something. From cakes to pies to tarts, cookies, scones, taiyaki, senbei(she has her own touch) and even pizzas. As for meals, at least its very traditionally Japanese-y and because they're a family of priests and mikos, its Shojin-Ryori and they take turns cooking...so its why Tsuna doesn't get fat with her sweet tooth.

Last Reborn checked when he last cracked Japanese books, such families don't eat cakes and pastries and as far as snacks go, its traditional Japanese desserts. Tsuna can also make them but only does if guests are coming. In which she goes over the top. She could have easily gone to CLAMP Campus with her baking abilities but she refused in favor of magic. She can't exactly train in a place where security can easily rival The Pentagon or Fort Knox or heck, many mansions of powerful Zaibatsus or Mafia Famiglias.

She rather prefers freedom than paranoia anyday, thank you very much. And would CLAMP really let in a future Mafia Donna? Their background checking abilities are just as epic with no stone left unturned. Well, it DOES have securities as that campus raises geniuses and prodigies.

One day, when their free week ended...it was also the day when Kaho joined an Archery Competition.

Pillars made of rock and soil sprouted all around! Earthquakes everywhere that followed the pillars, ground splitting, buildings collapsing...

'What in the world?!' Reborn gasped as Tsuna carried Reborn into her arms as she flew to the skies using her flames.

'Well, I'll be. The last.' Tsuna grinned. 'I'm glad I get to see it! The best show ever!' she exclaimed.

'What part of THIS is a show?!' Reborn grunted, 'It'll be hard covering this up!' he imagined what the fuck they'll do to explain THIS away...really, earthquakes, ground opening up and rock pillars sprouting like beansprouts in fast-forward filming? Ohhh yeah, how to pull this off?

'Meh, if its magic, humans with no magic or ESP will never notice and these guys ensure not one soul is harmed as they know the laws. Mischief yes, hurt people bar anyone hunting them, no.' Tsuna quipped. 'Only humans near a magician can be lucky to see this along with a camcorder. But if humans are nowhere near a magician even with a satellite recording, they see nothing. That, and damages a card caused will be fixed when they're gone That's the beauty of it!' she chuckled. 'Well, I don't care how you do it but hold on tight, I'll be assisting.'

"Card?" 'Alright...' Leon transformed for him so Reborn was secure with his back against her chest as the chameleon became rope like straps that wrapped around her torso. She used her flames and froze pillars in place. 'You knew Zero Point Breakthrough without Hyper Dying Will Mode?!' in records, Giotto was in a constant-to-permanent state of HDWM as its needed to use this attack while turning his sky flames into negative energy but Tsuna did not need the mode unlike him and Timoteo. Is it because she found a way through magic? And she's strong enough to cover several high pillars without as much running out of breath.

'Of course.' Tsuna grinned. 'I can use both fire and ice with my sky flames after all.' she said as they spotted Sakura and Kero, with Sakura using Watery. 'And I told her to study...water makes mud so Earthy isn't harmed one bit...' then Kero used fire from his mouth. 'That's a bad idea too or have they forgotten fire plus earth is molten lava?!' and cue Earthy hurling mini fiery meteors...

'Now they know!' Reborn said wryly as Tsuna protected them with an energy shield.

'Senpai!' Sakura exclaimed in relief as she saw Tsuna who came to save them.

'Sakura-chan, Keroberos, Water makes Mud out of Earth so Watery is no good against Earthy and there's a reason why volcanoes spout lava and hot rocks! Earthy knows that!' the two flinched.

'We forgot...' said Sakura feebly as Tsuna sighed.

'Anyway, the answer is in your surroundings and in your pockets. You can do it, Sakura-chan.' Tsuna advised. 'I'll cover you.'

'My surroundings...eek!' Sakura yelped as Earthy's dragon head form aimed to headbutt them and they evaded with flying.

'That was close!' Kero gasped out. 'In her pockets and the surroundings...?'

'Sakura-chan, I really DO hope you studied your cards at home because a big event is coming soon.' Tsuna asked her junior wryly.

'E-eto I studied combining cards...' Sakura stammered out. 'Can that work this time?'

'None of any combined card attacks will work on Earthy. Only one card can do it and the hint is around you. As its the final Clow Card, you must catch it on your own abilities in order for Earthy to respect you and be willingly sealed by you. I can only give hints, but not help you catch it!'

'OK! Kero-chan and I will find a way out!' Sakura cried as they flew away.

'...the answer is in plain sight, eh?' Reborn mused as Earthy chased the pair while leaving them alone. He looked around...and there's no harm where trees are. 'Ho-hoo...I see.'

'If only she notices sooner though...' Tsuna chuckled. 'Its so easy.'

'Then why don't YOU catch them?'

'Its not my destiny to own these cards.' Tsuna told him and started to explain. 'To qualify as a potential successor, you must be chosen by Keroberos, or be a descendant of Clow Reed, or possess the powers that is a perfect balance between the Sun and the Moon.' she explained. 'Sakura-chan is chosen by Keroberos, the Sun Guardian who is tasked to Appoint his chosen successor...and Yue, the Moon Guardian will deliver judgment once all cards are sealed. If the successor candidate passes Yue's judgment, he or she will be the next master of the Clow Cards and the Guardians. However, if they fail, disaster will befall them and their world while everyone and everything else is unaffected. The disaster is nothing physical but far worse as a consequence. For the one who failed and the people surrounding that person, that is.'

'I see...so it won't affect us, just them?'

'Hai.'

'Well, no worries then.' said Reborn with a shrug. Soon, Sakura took out a card and what looks like a fairy came out, wrapping wooden vines all over Earthy. 'Hn. About time.'

'To prevent soil erosion, trees' roots hold the soil in place...thus Earthy will not move within its protector.' Tsuna smiled as Sakura captured Earthy. 'I hope that...Sakura-chan really studied her cards...for the Last Judgment is pretty harsh. Yue will be a harsh examiner.' they flew back to the temple where Kaho, Tomoyo and Shaoran are.

'Tsuna...' Kaho greeted her. 'You're here to witness, aren't you?' her foster sister chose to stay before going home just to watch the Last Judgment and see Yue.

'Hai, neesan.' said Tsuna as Leon finally unwrapped around her and let Reborn go and she settled for carrying him in her arms. 'Everything will be alright, right?'

'Yes...we believe it will be.' said Kaho with a solemn smile as they stood with each other, while waiting for Sakura to come...and for a costume change and filming to occur.

'That girl with the camera is in the know?' Reborn asked his student as he watched Tomoyo, a delicate-looking beauty with porcelain skin and dark gray hair filming the two magicians.

'Yes. On the second day Sakura-chan started this job last year.' Tsuna giggled. 'They're best friends and Daidouji Tomoyo-san enjoys filming her capture exploits while dressing her up in fancy costumes she herself designed and made. She has plenty of videotapes at home, except for some cards wherein she's affected by the Sleep Card or when she wasn't around. And its plenty too so its easy to say which ones she filmed than which ones she didn't get the chance to.'

'Hmmm...' soon, the atmosphere around them changed when Sakura wrote her name on the card...

And the most unlikely person was Yue's false form. And they can see that Yue is a beautiful angelic man with blue stone ornaments, fancy clothes and long white hair while barefoot. He's cold even towards children because their being potential masters was on the line and Yue didn't want an incompetent master. Its what Reborn thought at first. But Sakura didn't want a master-servant relationship, all she wanted are friends. And the Arcobaleno can see she wasn't THAT kind of a person that Yue expected, after getting her second chance from Kaho.

With the event over, Tsuna silently went home with her tutor.

'Tsuna...'

'Hai?'

'I just thought I should tell you...someday, you'll be telling your guardians what you are.' Reborn told her as he really could imagine Tsuna telling the people closest to her what she is. 'It won't be an easy path to Vongola Decimo.'

'Yeah. My destiny is tougher than Sakura-chan's after all.' Tsuna forced a smile. 'I will need to step up my game. I can count on you right?'

'Aa. I'll be very strict with you.' Reborn smirked as he enjoyed being carried by her and leaning against her chest. For one her age, her size isn't so bad...and maybe he'll milk this for all its worth. At his condition, age really doesn't matter anymore.

xxx

Namimori, days later in a Mansion(what Japanese call huge apartments), Tsuna liked what she saw indeed, after taking her luggage with her.

'Humm...big enough for six of us in this house!' Tsuna chirped. 'Things will get interesting from now on!'

Reborn thought living with her will get interesting too as well. A somewhat-powerful magician with flame-proficiency for a successor made Vongola really luck out. All she needed now is business management and learning how to think, know political savvy and fight like a real Mafioso. For now, survival is much needed, and nurturing her into the mentality of a boss.

Reborn realized that had Tsuna remained sealed, she would never reach her full potential. Really now, horrible balance and brain damage? Horrible mix and no one will be the wiser as to why she's that way and she would've most likely stayed 'Dame' forever. Now that she recovered from her sealing, she reached her full potential which can be fully nurtured if done the right way and even discovered a new power that will secure Vongola Family's power. She also inherited most of the Sawada genes resulting in her androgynous looks, further cementing her claim to the Vongolan Throne.

Tsuna explored the kitchen, and saw a Vongola Card inside the fridge. It was a debit card, complete with password...her name in numbers. Sawada Tsuna would be 72923287862. She used her magic to imprint her password into her memory before burning the paper. They settled down first, before going out to enroll in Namimori Chuu.

Although apparently she isn't forgotten by people here...when the principal gave her a disbelieving look upon seeing her name.

'Apparently, my father found me by accident when he and his boss and colleagues went to Tokyo on a business deal and saw me coming to a cake shop and asked me why am I in Tokyo miles away from here, and you already know the reason why I ran away. Cue my father's bawling and wailing that he wasn't able to protect me and find out my problem, and begged me to come back home to this town so I did on two conditions. I hate my mother and I live in an apartment far away. That, or I won't go back at all.' Tsuna explained in a bored voice. 'I was doing well in Tokyo under a foster family too...' she sighed blandly, scratching her head as the Principal looked at her records. The principal sweatdropped at her bored way of explaining, as if she rehearsed this many times before coming.

'Indeed...but what happened, Sawada-san? You clearly worked hard for these grades.' the principal remarked thoughtfully. Given the famous reputation of 'Dame Tsuna' this was a remarkable leap.

'Brain Damage as a kid, messing up my balance and I had trouble learning due to said damage so my foster family paid for mental therapy.' Tsuna explained. The principal balked. 'My foster family found that out since my mental ability and movements were abnormal so I was in therapy for years and it started when I was around Grade 1 but no idea when it started.' she even provided fake records made out of magic as no hospital in Tokyo possessed these and these papers are 'charmed' so that those who touched it will no longer ask questions. The records will stay active for three years before dissipating. It helps that her father handled the police station in Namimori. 'When my father found out, he asked his boss for time off to pay off what he felt he owed to my foster family and catching up with me.'

'I see...that must have been rough. Facilities in Tokyo are indeed high class. You're fortunate.' the Principal nodded. 'Just give me a few minutes to prepare the needed paperwork so you can pay for your Midterm Tuition at the Cashier, then go see the Admission's Office tomorrow morning for your schedule so be here by eight, thirty minutes before class to get your class number and class pass, and go to the Faculty Room for a Fuyuki-sensei. He's a History Teacher and your Homeroom.'

'Hai.' and Tsuna left the office after getting the needed paperwork with the principal thinking he had a lot to talk about with his faculty when school ends...

And she met the Patrolling Prefect as she came minutes before lunch break. He wore his black jacket that had a Prefect armband pinned to the left sleeve like a cape, wore black trousers and a white dress shirt. He looked very cold, aloof and...predatory? But he's pretty good-looking.

'Who are you?' he asked the rich-looking girl suspiciously. She looked of a wealthy breed with her fancy clothes, long hair and looks.

Tsuna on the other hand, recognized him from her childhood years. He was a constant sight so its hard to forget him.

She smiled.

'I'm a tenkousei.' she chirped with a smile as she gave him a coy, girlish flirt pose before walking up to him before caressing his left cheek with her right hand, causing him to balk with a light blush on his cheeks when she did so with a warm smile on her face. 'And thank you for six years ago, oniisan.' and she skipped away.

'...hah?'

Then a five second flashback(caused by her but altered to be in his point of view) occurred in his mind where he was a child, protecting a crying, younger girl with spiky, fluffy brown hair who had scrapes and bruises by scaring away bullies.

"That's her?!" when he came to after a memory flashback, she was long gone. Shaking his head, he went back to patrolling and braced himself. If she's back and in this school...he'll have more work on his plate.

xxx

'So, finished your enrollment eh?' Reborn mused as they went outside of Namimori with plenty of food. Tsuna was dressed in a black shirt and brown shorts for training. For now, they will focus on fighting ability, reflexes and instincts. Physical Conditioning can wait till summer so they have all time in the world.

'Yeah. And it appears kids from my old elementary school went to Namimori Chuu.' despite smiling sweetly, Reborn knew she wasn't too happy about coming back here if it wasn't for the fact that 'her destiny is in this town' and played a huge role in her future. Otherwise she'd rather find Guardians elsewhere. She hated this town due to what it is to her. Bad memories.

And so...when she was introduced the next day...apparently, no one remembers her. Only the adults do.

It suited Tsuna just fine. But she still hated everyone here except for those who showed her kindness. She went all out in classes if called to perform, showing off how smart she is and how good her English is while pulling off the 'good girl' personality. In music class, she was her generation's singer and she performed in a piano while singing when asked to. She sang the song available for Grade 6 female singers.

(A:N Kobato's Song)

She was immediately known as the best singer in her class. Good teachers and hard work is responsible for that. She cemented her reputation easily. Dame-Tsuna is a thing of the past after all.

By Friday, after girls' PE which was Gymnastics...Tsuna was able to shower, having known what Reborn taught her as 'Combat Showers', giving her more time to fix herself in time for her next class. On the way back to the classroom, she saw a classmate leaving the clinic. She raised an eyebrow before going on her way back to class...before freezing in her steps as she felt it.

Negative emotions.

Emotions that gave up on the world.

She wondered if this kid will commit suicide.

Only people who gave up on the world tend to end everything after all...so where will he put his body? Aokigahara is a famous suicide place and its very far from here. So she would be wary about this one.

On the way home however...

'Hey, Sawada-san!' she turned to see HIM. 'C-can we talk for a bit?' after some mind-reading, he wanted HER opinion as she's the newbie and therefore, unbiased. So everyone in their class has biased opinions about him?

'Sure. The park sounds like a nice place.' she suggested as they walked towards the park. They then sat down on a bench. 'So what do you want to talk about, er...?'

'Yamamoto. Yamamoto Takeshi.' Yamamoto introduced himself. The girl from Tokyo is very new she didn't have much time to get to know anyone after 'moving jitters'. She easily replaced Sasagawa Kyoko as the 'School Idol' in the minds of boys for her looks and brains. Then he had this look on his face combined with a forced smile. 'Erm...how do I start...well...' he said, 'Baseball is not going well lately. My fielding keeps screwing and now my average is dropping. What do you think I should do?' he asked gloomily.

'Well, while I know a little about baseball, I do know that by what you stated, you're a tad too passionate about it that you forgot to crack open your notes and books, so your average is dropping. As for baseball, you wore yourself into exhaustion. Exhaustion is the cause of lapses in judgment so you mess up your fielding as you put it and possibly get an injury. You're wearing yourself too thin.' Tsuna told him kindly as in talking to a suicidal kid, negative tones are a no-no. 'For now, let your body recover for this midterm and start studying while ensuring you have at least eight hours of sleep. You can rest while raising your grades and then when you fully recover from physical stress and fatigue, you'll be in top game again. Health is wealth.' she advised with her 'charming smile'. 'I did see you leaving the clinic after PE Class and you're not even sick so maybe you did get something.' Yamamoto looked sheepish.

'Yeah, well...muscle and back pains and I asked for some pills and menthol pads...' he said. 'I didn't want to worry my dad.' Tsuna shook her head and tut-tutted.

'Yare yare...lie down on your stomach with your chest on my lap. You need more than pills and menthol pads you know.'

'Er, what are you going to do?' Yamamoto blinked as he did as told.

'Massage.'

'Ah.' so upon lying down while slightly shy for lying on a pretty girl's lap, her small hands and dainty fingers hid quite the strength. 'Eek!' he yelped as he got startled by the strong pressure she put in.

'Be a man Yamamoto-san, this is a Shiatsu and Acupressure Massage and its normally like this.' Tsuna chuckled while applying small amounts of healing magic. 'Be lucky I don't do acu_puncture_ since my family says I'm not good enough for that one yet.'

Yamamoto found himself glad she isn't using needles on him.

After a few minutes, the phantom pain of two massages still lingered.

'Well, sometime soon when the pain is gone from pressures, your back and spine areas should be OK.' Tsuna told him. 'Remember: Physical Vacation AND study so you can recover both in the Finals!' she reminded him as she raised one finger.

'I will! Thanks for everything Sawada-san!' Yamamoto chimed happily. He was glad he approached her. Having known everyone and being a popular guy for his baseball skills, he knew he couldn't count on them for when he needs them most as they'll surely give him biased opinions and pressure him more while Tsuna suggested what's good FOR him and even treated him well when he heard her logical advice. Maybe a break is indeed a good idea.

He's one happy guy and Tsuna knew how he feels.

One potential suicide, averted.


	5. Rainbow Guests

Rainbow Guests

Since helping Yamamoto, he apparently decided on his own that she's a friend he actually likes.

He could count on her when he's in the pits, so he wanted to stay around her and be just as helpful when she needs him.

Tsuna appreciated the thought, but where was someone like him when she really needed a friend six years ago?

She doesn't even know what having a friend is like. Family, yes. Friends? No. Even if she was kind to her kohai magicians, giving them help(which was barely needed), she isn't friends with them either, being two years apart in year levels. So maybe with Yamamoto, she would learn what its like. The guy knows what its like to have friends, she doesn't, so maybe she can learn.

And he's a really nice guy too...

Thing is?

They hang out at school a lot that everyone mistook them for dating.

Good thing Yamamoto was oblivious to what they're saying...she didn't know how he'll react if he finds out. Good thing they could not hang out after school as she told him she has a self-defense workshop...which is really true...

Well, with an Arcobaleno as her teacher, a normal human would have redefined the words 'self-defense' in Webster's had they witnessed how they train for it.

Reborn taught her how to fight in a way she's comfortable with by teaching her basic and advanced punches and kicks...then since she knew Gymnastics and by default Acrobatics, she could combine all three to create her own combat style as known martial arts these days are easily predictable. Then he 'drilled into her' his idea of 'learning' reflexes and instincts and she was forbidden to cheat with magic or he'll shoot her.

So yes. Self-Defense is a club no ordinary human will survive from if they don't have mafia blood in their veins.

xxx

Yamamoto observed his new friend when he could.

Sawada Tsuna is good-looking, good at academics, sports, cooking, and wise beyond her years she tended to speak like a maternal wise woman(given who she's around with, it rubs off). He felt her existence was...perfect.

He has no idea how wrong he was, had he known the truth, really.

She wasn't perfect. She's traumatized, held a grudge and trusted no one in Namimori unless it were people who cared enough to help her as a child and showed her kindness and comfort when she needed it most. Yamamoto might be her first friend once she gets used to him. For some reason after giving him a helpful advice and her status as 'neutral', he decided that she would be a friend.

'So that's what's happening in school for a week now, Tsuna?' Reborn asked Tsuna who was resting at home around 11:39 pm after training. She took a bath, healed her sore muscles and bruises, and was in her underwear while she took out a pale yellow-orange button-up pajama dress with black trim, which she wore.

'Yes...I don't know what to think about Yamamoto Takeshi-san, Reborn.' said Tsuna as she lazily raised a hand and papers appeared out of nowhere which she gave to him. 'I want your unbiased opinion after school tomorrow OK? I'm so tired.' and she let herself fall onto her bed like a limp doll and the blanket 'sprung' to life, covering her.

"So you're getting used to the idea of a 'friend' huh?" Reborn mused as he put the papers away from now, and crawled in with her in her bed to sleep.

He enjoyed a warm body, and a beautiful female to sleep with after all and one day, she'll be a powerful beauty. He'll be enjoying this before his ex comes.

Last he checked, she tried poisoning Dino just to free his schedule so they could 'work together' again and Shien nor Tsuna didn't say when will they come. Oh well, he has nothing to worry about. She's too strong for Bianchi now.

The next day after Tsuna gave him all needed to know about Yamamoto Takeshi and history of his family, he advised her to keep him for if his desire for friendship with her is for real, he would make a good Rain Guardian for her. His overall history as well as his family's history that she obtained through magic made him also 'immune' from her 'traumatic grudge'. They were in different schools as children. So he was 'spared'. He also made a request of her.

'Tsuna. I intend on ahem, making his father teach him combat skills.' Reborn told her. 'But first, I need my true form. Can you do what Shien did for me?'

'Yeah, to a better extent as my magic deals with life and nurturing life, but I can't break the curse.' Tsuna told him. 'Its linked to your life, flames and that pacifier that maintains it with an iron grip and its the kind that only the caster himself can break. The caster ensured he has the final laugh.' she said to his annoyance. 'I can only give you hours of 'normalcy' or add a twist to the Curse.'

'I prefer the twist I think.' Reborn snorted. 'So what's the twist?'

'Eto ne, you can only regain your true form anytime you wish if you feel that you are in extreme danger that your baby body is no good in combat. By feeling an extreme threat to your life by things beyond your control, say or think the words 'Partial Release: Full Potential', you will be temporarily released from your curse and fully healed from whatever injury you got, become an adult with the perks that came with it and be temporarily immune to what harms Arcobaleno using my Quintessence Sorcery. Once you've calmed down and felt the threat is gone, you'll automatically revert back to being a baby, fully healed again. That's the meaning of the magic words I taught you.'

'So the 'hours of normalcy' can be given anytime?'

'Aa, as long as I'm around.' Tsuna nodded and those words made Reborn prefer the Twist. 'The magic words can be said in any language as long as your enemies can understand what you're saying. It won't work if they don't understand it.' she warned him. He found the conditions agreeable and is satisfied with it.

'Just for my meeting with Yamamoto's father, give me six.' Reborn requested. 'After that, I think I'd want that twist.'

As soon as Tsuna got her 'off day' from training, Reborn sent a message to all Arcobaleno regarding this matter using his familiar, Leon.

To All Arcobaleno

I'm fortunately with a VIP who can temporarily break our curses as  
>unfortunately, the caster has the final say in it when she analyzed my<br>condition and same rules applied for all Arcobaleno. But a twist can be  
>made. For those of us cursed to be infants, come here to Japan, Namimori<br>Town. Just locate me with your pacifiers as I'm always with her. For the  
>Sky Arcobaleno...well, she has to study her case first before adding her<br>'twist' to her curse. How it works is that after casting the needed spell,  
>we must be in an EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION in where we feel<br>our lives are in severe danger that we'll all get killed. That kind of thing.  
>By feeling such emotions, say 'Partial Release: Full Potential'. We will<br>be fully healed from injuries gained in our present bodies, temporarily  
>revert to our adult forms and the perks that came with it, along with<br>our Arcobaleno Powers. Not only that, we will be temporarily immune  
>to anything that will kill us as both human and Arcobaleno. Weapons,<br>Poison, ANYTHING. In short, its temporary invincibility. From Instant  
>Death, Radiation, Poisoning and Crippling Injuries only such as<br>Broken Bones and damaged vital organs. Those four things that normally  
>gets us killed in fights. We'll still get injured though. We're just invincible against<br>those four mentioned so don't get your hopes up too high.

The catch? Study universal languages as because your enemies must  
>understand the language of the magic words. Italian? English? Chinese?<br>Whatever. If your enemies can't understand you, it will not work. And  
>if you no longer feel you are in danger and feel that you are safe, we<br>will change back to babies. If the Sky Arcobaleno comes here, my VIP  
>might be able to study and work around it like for us unfortunate infants.<br>The reason for 'temporary' is because HE has his 'final say and laugh'  
>as our conditions are held in an iron grip by our pacifiers. Its what she<br>said. Its better than nothing at least, don't you think? I don't know about  
>Lal though. She's only partially cursed by Colonello's attempt of botching<br>her case so she might be luckier than us at least.

When this message reached them in wherever heck they were...

Most Common Reaction was that they clutched the papers they held with shaking fists of excited anticipation.

The all-knowing Aria already knew about the letter and gathering, but Tsuna's sorcery blocked her precognition partially.

They came to Japan one by one, depending on their location that Tsuna found herself entertaining guests every after school.

Fon was the first to arrive with his student I-Pin, since he's in China training and educating his pupil. He is a rather peaceful, gentle and kind person with good manners to match. Out of all guests, he had the longest time to get to know Tsuna, and both he and his pupil enjoyed her snacks very much and her fridge never runs out of them since she constantly makes them. She's also a great cook.

Next was Colonello when Mafia Land happened to be nearby Philippines and he had to fly north with his pupil Gokudera Hayato who was shocked that the place they're shacking up with is with Vongola-freaking-Decimo. Tsuna already knew Colonello and Gokudera was nervously shy and tried all means for a good impression which amused them and she gently chided him, saying he didn't need to make much effort as for now, she is his guest therefore must enjoy her hospitality. He isn't her subordinate YET as he has yet to graduate from Colonello's mentorship. But Gokudera or I-Pin has no idea what the Arcobaleno are here for.

Third was Verde who was doing business in Hong Kong. Skull came using his personal jet hours before Lal, Aria and Mammon arrived together with the last three being in Italy after a few days in a first-class plane. Like others, they had to locate Reborn since he could not give away Tsuna's address THAT easily.

'All of us are here now.' said Mammon as they were the last to come. 'Where is this person, Reborn?'

'That would be me.' said Tsuna cheerfully, pointing at herself.

'You?!' Skull sputtered out as other Arcobaleno turned their heads at her so fast in disbelief. He was here for only a few hours and under the belief that they're her guests(shared similar thoughts with others) before Reborn leads them to the VIP he stated. Gokudera wondered what was going on as all Arcobaleno gathered for 'someone' who happens to be his future boss.

'Yeah, it's her.' said Lal. 'Why didn't you say anything before, Tsuna?' she asked her. 'That you could do this?'

'...you didn't ask you know.' Tsuna pointed out casually as Lal sputtered and Colonello face-palmed.

'She has a good point.' Verde piped up. 'You two knew her yet you didn't ask.' he said in a smart-ass manner that earned him two glares for it.

'We should have known better when Shien was able to momentarily change Reborn a few days ago.' he groaned. 'Who else can do this?'

'Kaho-neesan can too. But only my power can do it because of the nature of my powers. I create and nurture life itself while Shien-sama and Kaho-neesan can only create due to the nature of their powers, but cannot 'heal' like I can.' Tsuna explained. 'However, this requires a great deal of my strength, so one Arcobaleno per day. You can decide who goes first depending on your schedules since I know all of you got jobs.' she offered. 'Just no fighting in my apartment while I study Aria-san and Lal's curse!'

'I will go first.' said Mammon. 'Given who I associate with, I have to return quickly or have them hound me at the wrong timing when its just getting good.' he grumbled.

'Given your employment, we can't blame you.' said Colonello wryly. Mammon's employers, the Varia...well...plenty can be said about them.

'Alright. Tomorrow at noon after lunch, I will apply the Condition since I need the sun for an extra boost.' said Tsuna to Mammon's satisfaction. 'Right now I need to study Aria-san and Lal-san.' she said as a magic circle glowing in a bright yellow light appeared on the floor, surprising most of them. 'Reborn, can you forge a sick leave for me at school? You know how it is for me when I applied it on you.'

'Aa. I'll handle it tomorrow.' said her tutor.

'Then Aria-san, please step in the middle of the circle.' Tsuna instructed as Aria did so. Various tendrils of light prodded her body and her pacifier as a scroll appeared in Tsuna's hands and unwound itself. Soon, the tendrils lunged at the scroll she possessed, and many writings appeared and the circle was gone.

'What did it say, Tsuna-san?' Aria asked her. 'All I know is my lifespan is shortened, but never the reason why.'

'Aria-san, according to this, you have a very powerful Precognition ability that you know what your future will be up to the very end of your days, and what gets altered based on your decisions so you could defy 'bad fate' as you so easily wish and because of that, you can see through many parallel worlds which are affected by your decisions and the results, boon and consequences but only in the future. In fact, out of all precognitive psychics in the world, the power in your bloodline is the most potent and strongest.' all people are rendered speechless.

'This power is so great that unlike everyone here who are turned into babies, this is the very reason why you are cursed with a short lifespan and only one child per generation, to prevent the 'growth' of this power and possibly, end your bloodline, rendering it extinct so no one will have this power ever again.' she said grimly. 'In return for this power, it literally devours a huge chunk of your lifespan the moment you inherit the position of Sky Arcobaleno. As generation goes on, the lifespan is halved as soon as the Sky Pacifier is worn based on the years of the previous generation as Sky Arcobaleno.' Aria looked horrified as many jaws dropped in stunned shock and disbelief.

'In fact, you only have six years left to live after this year, but you already know that anyway.' said Tsuna while shivering. 'And upon your death, should your child inherit the position...they won't live past teenage age.' she said somberly, her hands trembling. 'This scroll says right now, you're 25...so if you had any children and you gained the position at age 5...their lifespan is a half of your Arcobaleno years.' she said in utter discomfort. What's next need not be said.

'I-I see...' Aria shook at the information learned, reeling from shock. 'I-I need a moment to think...' she said as she shakily settled down on the couch, in shock as she buried her face in her hands.

Nobody knew what to do or say upon getting wind of Aria's true condition and her bloodline for that matter. When it finally sunk in, her curse was easily the most horrible.

"Luce...!" Reborn shook, clenching his fists, gritting his teeth in anger. He felt his friend died never knowing the truth behind the 'short lifespan case' or maybe she knew and chose to disappear in despair and he's angry.

'Lal, you're next.' said Tsuna as she created the circle again which Lal stepped onto. Repeating the same process as Aria, Lal wondered what her case is.

'Lal, you're partially cursed as we all know.' said Tsuna. 'But unlike er infant immortality, your curse is very diluted. Yes, you're cursed to become a baby too but slowly, you're aging. Your body ages slower than that of humans but you'll still age, and you're still prone to Arcobaleno weaknesses. Your real flame type was also changed just like how certain hospital treatments change blood types. You can never use your real flame type while still cursed. However...I can only remove Arcobaleno weaknesses in your case and through 'Partial Release', you can momentarily get back your real flame type and your true form. But when your body hits physical teens, you can only use Partial Release to get your original flame type. Unlike the infant Arcobalenos, its not that taxing on me and I can fix you immediately off Arcobaleno Weaknesses.' she said. 'A decade from now you'll appear in your mid teens. You're in for a long life if you're not killed on a job.'

'Alright, I can live with that.' said Lal with a nod.

'Well, everyone else's cases is so difficult, I need a sunny day to give me more strength.' said Tsuna. 'And Aria-san's case is the trickiest so I'll be treating her last since I need to study her pacifier more so I can apply the countermeasure to give her more years to live so the bloodline will not end. Ma, I have guest rooms here. As most of us are infants, two or three can share a room as my guest rooms all have bunk beds.' she suggested. 'That's if some of you didn't book hotel rooms beforehand, that is.'

'Er...'

Aria booked a room, so did Skull, Verde and Mammon when they said it. So the ones staying at her home were Fon, I-Pin, Colonello, Lal and Gokudera.

Lal was the first to obtain Partial Release, and permanently cured of Arcobaleno weaknesses. However that night...

'Tsuna, you can easily cure Lal completely yet you didn't.' Reborn mused as they went to bed that night. 'Why?'

'Its so 'that man' will not detect my actions through a broken curse and so Colonello can physically catch up to her in the future.' Tsuna smirked, her expression in sheer mischief. 'Once Colonello is physically older than she is, I'll let her know though I'll hide for a while...' Reborn snorted before chuckling in amusement.

'You really should, knowing her temper.' he said as he sat on their bed in his pajamas before she too, sat before lying down, and pulling the blanket over them.

xxx

Next day...apartment rooftop after making breakfast...

Tsuna stood there in her miko uniform, meditating while gathering energy after eating a lot of sweets after breakfast.

'Reborn-san, won't juudaime get sunburn for staying up there so long?' Gokudera wondered aloud while fretting...and washing the dishes. His boss could eat a lot of cakes and sweets by herself!

'She won't.' Reborn told him. 'The sun is an extra boost of power even if she can generate her own strength. The amount of power she used in giving me Partial Release is immense.' he said seriously. 'Extra stress on compressing all that energy and hiding its presence so its not noticeable by anyone.'

'Oh...' Gokudera is fully aware of Tsuna's powers from Colonello. At first, he couldn't believe it till he saw it with his own eyes and now last night, he got proof that magic exists and Mammon was practically drooling last night too when Lal temporarily became an adult for a few minutes upon applying Partial Release. He was able to believe Colonello when he said Vongola lucked out.

Sawada Tsuna, Lady Vongola Decimo once she turns 18, is beautiful and powerful. How she is as a boss is entirely up to her tutor.


	6. Life as Normal

Life as Normal

Tsuna spent a week off school in the guise of 'Stomach Flu' to help one Arcobaleno per day...and made them swear Omerta to hide her identity as a Sorceress, a secret they will take to their graves in return for diluting their curses and give them an advantage. Mammon offered to pay her a fortune, something that shocked everyone who knew him, but Tsuna politely turned it down, saying, she'd rather prefer his aid when she really needs it that did not involve money and he agreed. Skull wanted to give her an airship until Reborn pointed out, 'Where will she put it in this town, idiot?'

That, and Yamamoto comes every after school to let her copy his notes, and answer homework which she'll send to school through him.

As for Aria...hers was different.

On the Seventh Day...the Arcobaleno who mostly had free time like Verde and Fon were able to watch how Tsuna will handle her case.

Tsuna spent all day basking in the sun in her underwear at the rooftop, and eating as many food as she could, quickly digesting and converting them into energy that Reborn often had Fon and Verde assist him in gathering food for her when what she cooked that morning ran out, as well as the various snacks and cakes she made that they bought a lot of bentos, and party-sized platters of food while Aria handled the housework if only to tend to her fellow Arcobaleno and one child who are being food runners at the moment.

And soon at sundown...when the sky took on an orange hue...Tsuna took a shower, and got dressed in casual clothes and they all took a trip to the rooftop and she started glowing in immense energy that her entire body bar her clothes is glowing bright yellow light as the night skies take over as the sun is fully gone.

'Aria-san,' said Tsuna as they were at the roof. 'I will create a jewel for the Sky Pacifier to assimilate once you get the jewel near it. This jewel will force the pacifier to return to you the lifespans it took from your mother and you, and extend your life by the stolen years as it takes the place of the lives the pacifier has taken, enabling your future child to only inherit the pacifier when you're at an old age and by then, he or she has plenty of children of their own for the Giglio Nero Bloodline to live on as one child will take on the duty and curse while everyone else can propagate the bloodline. As for the jewel, it needs recharging by exposing it to the sun. Out of all Arcobaleno, only the Sky can safely take it off after all. The recharging requirement will begin every grandchild generation. So there are family members who will don the pacifier with a powerless jewel and live a short lifespan as it needs recharging for several years straight from morning to sundown, then worn by the Arcobaleno at night to maintain the bond.'

'And unlike living by half Arcobaleno years of the predecessor, I made it so that the curse will only take half of a person's natural lifespan. Every chosen grandchild will thus live up to their fifties only.' Tsuna continued. 'That's the best deal I can make around your curse, and nothing I can do about the one-child policy of the Sky Arcobaleno but by the time your child wears it, that policy is several years too late to apply and a useless rule. Its too powerful I can only cheat with the conditions.'

'That's a better deal at least.' Aria sighed. Her future daughter can have plenty of children before wearing the accursed pacifier and the one-child policy rule will be too late by then. But given their future, years of hiding must be done and she would ask for Tsuna's help before 'they' start existing.

Tsuna converted all energy she amassed from food, the sun, and nature itself to create a seven-karat rainbow diamond as it literally has seven colors it emits when struck with light. A few millimeters smaller than the pacifiers and upon its creation, Tsuna fainted from exhaustion.

'Tsuna/Tsuna-san!' Reborn and Aria exclaimed as they went to pick up the fainted girl while Fon picked up the jewel.

'Aria, the jewel.' Fon said, giving her the jewel. Aria shakily took the jewel and held it close to her pacifier...and the pacifier forcefully sucked the jewel from her fingers and it glowed for three seconds.

'Its done.' said Verde. 'That was an interesting experience.' he chuckled as his familiar Keiman turned into a seated backpack with helicopter blades. 'We all benefited from it and I'm able to witness a complete cheating of our conditions. Farewell.' and he flew away.

'Well, will you be alright, Reborn?' Aria asked Reborn as she picked up Tsuna and carried her bridal style to her apartment. 'Looks like she'll spend many hours asleep...and we, the Giglio Nero and Arcobaleno owe her for her help.'

'Yeah...she helped us out big time.' said Reborn. 'Because in the future that awaited us, we definitely can't afford to die.' he said darkly. 'We'll fight and make them earn it through blood.' he grunted. 'What of your daughter?'

'...I can only trust Vongola to hide my daughter when Tsuna is boss by then.' said Aria. 'For now, nobody outside my most trusted knows she exists. She lives in the West Temple raised by chosen nannies. Right now...she is two years old.'

'How did you hide your pregnancy from your whole famiglia bar a select few?' Reborn asked her as they returned to the apartment.

'Well, when I started showing despite the baggy stuff I wore, I had Gamma take over while I'm on a 'stressed-out five-month vacation' from paperwork.' Aria smirked. 'He knows I'm with child and who the father is but he doesn't know why I'm being secretive about it...all he knows is her name...Yuni.'

xxx

Early morning the next day, Aria was taken home by her most trusted family members, leaving Reborn with only Fon for company, and his student while his own student sleeps off exhaustion with the Arcobaleno putting her on the roof for her to recover faster. She woke up around sundown due to being exposed the whole day.

'Should I say 'good night', Tsuna-san?' Tsuna looked to see Fon and Reborn come into the rooftop. Thing is, Reborn was facing her as usual, Fon was looking away.

'...sundown?' Tsuna croaked out as she sat up. 'I guess its only a short while.' she said groggily.

'You're asleep for 24 hours straight, Tsuna.' Reborn told her to her disbelief. 'I don't know if you'll sleep longer if we didn't put you out on the rooftop for the sun since you didn't have food or water for a whole day.'

'Oh...' Tsuna looked sheepish. 'Well, holding all that in and then releasing everything to create that jewel puts a lot of stress on the body you see.' she said. 'I used a spell that will activate to heal my body after I faint...good thing you left me under the sun to speed things up or I'd end up hibernating for a while.'

'Define 'while'.' Fon deadpanned,

'Three weeks...or longer...' both Arcobaleno choked.

If they didn't let her bake under the sun, she'd wind up sleeping a month away?

xxx

'Hey Tsuna, is your Stomach Flu OK now?' Yamamoto asked her as they walked to school together.

'Yeah...though I can't eat heavy foods for a while though.' Tsuna lied with convincing acting. 'So I just took mostly soft and easy snacks for lunch.' And since she only got a day of rest, she can't use magic for several weeks to fully recover her magical capacity.

'Knowing you your cakes are really delicious.' Yamamoto chuckled. The cakes Tsuna makes are moist, fluffy, light in the tummy and very flavorful. If she wanted vanilla flavor with strawberry and milk, she WILL make it. The sweetness is also just right and not 'too creamy'. With her way of baking, one could literally eat one huge cake all by themselves in one sitting. Heck, in the girls' only culinary class, he's the lucky guy to always eat her cooking...and the only one to know she's the greatest cook in their class.

He tasted every girl's cooking back at Prelims after all.

xxx

Hibari Kyoya, Head of the Disciplinary Committee has been wondering for days as to WHY he gets a box of sweet-savoury Senbei Crackers that had perfectly seared flower patterns alternating with a whole fruit or meat pie on it every freaking day with high grade Matcha Powder enough for a day. Not only that, he would come home from school with freshly cooked, fluffy rice, miso soup with chunky vegetables and mushrooms, boneless fish or meat steaks and dessert and it started ever since SHE came here.

But she was no longer the 'no-good' kid in her past.

He practically interrogated the principal who told him need-to-knows and teachers who knew of her were surprised by the 'new her' as she clearly worked hard to get where she is now. Near-perfect English and high schoolwork levels and she never holds back. But she still refused to make friends nor get along with anybody bar Yamamoto Takeshi.

When Hibari cornered Yamamoto once and asked him, he said 'Dunno why just me when she's pretty popular. She seems not to like anyone else for some reason till she knew I existed. Before I approached her, she wanted nothing to do with anybody. I kinda get that vibe until I really did talk to her. Wonder why?'

Hibari figured that for all her no-goodness as a child, she must have had a strong memory in regards to people who bullied her and saved her...or in Yamamoto's case, she didn't see him before. Hence the preferential treatments. There was no Yamamoto in their Elementary School. He checked. At least no trouble came as since she was gone for so long, people forgot about her but she never forgets. What a grudge, he thought in amusement.

This was what he was thinking as the two students passed by the gate, talking about her Stomach Flu, hence, she was absent for a week(that's why no sweets and tea, and cooking for a week), but still sends homework through the guy. And she always smiles at him discreetly every day too.

Her smiles were sweet and clearly of fondness just like how his mother used to do it before she too, left for overseas to work when he proved he's not useless in the house. His cooking is average so he never got a taste of the finer things in life, but all he cared about was filling his stomach up and nothing else.

Her behavior is a mystery.

Other herbivore females he can predict, but...not her. Heck, she somehow sneaks into his house to cook for him yet no trace of ANYONE going inside! So he has no evidence but strongly believes its her due to the taste of the snacks she leaves him in school. Nothing stolen at least, and her cooking is delicious...and leaves notes on how to cook what was made for him so his own cooking improved.

She's one mystery he intends on solving.

xxx

Hibari skipped patrol that day, foisting the job to Kusakabe to stalk the girl while making sure he wasn't seen by anyone nor his intentions felt.

But when she turned a corner ten minutes away from school, she vanished. He knew he had to run home to catch her in the act. He didn't know how she did it, but he WILL see with his own eyes!

Outside his house, at a vantage point where he could see the kitchen, he climbed up a tree with a pair of binoculars on...he saw her cook in his kitchen! He KNEW it was her, he just couldn't get proof! She enjoys cooking for him apparently...he snuck into his own house...in a bid to really catch her.

'Caught you.' he said, startling the daylights out of her.

'Hiiii!' she sharply turned to see the guy she's cooking for. 'O-Onii-san!' she squeaked and she has EVERY REASON to look nervous because she got caught.

'...why do you do this, Sawada?' he asked her sternly. 'Breaking into other people's homes is against the rules...and why do you cook for me?'

'Erm, because I want to?' said Tsuna impishly with a shy blush while twiddling her fingers. 'I didn't break or s-steal anything!' she added quickly as Hibari sighed.

'Sawada, I knew it was you giving me snacks and cooking me dinner.' he said. 'As much as I...appreciate it and your thoughts, just do so upfront. Do not break the rules to do so.' he scolded.

'Well...I...' Tsuna sighed. 'I'm just...not good with people.' she said morosely. Hibari slightly raised an eyebrow. 'Even Yamamoto-san knows I'm stumbling with this...friendship thing. So I thought I should do things my way...before my tutor hours begin.'

'Tutor hours? You don't have a bad grade since Grade 5.' Hibari pointed out.

'Erm, a different kind of tutoring...and its probably something onii-san will enjoy a lot given what I'm hearing...' said Tsuna with a shy smile. Hibari made the eyebrow raise more obvious now.

'I'm listening...'

'Erm...its combat training...'

'Why?'

'Daddy's job.' Tsuna spoke as if it said everything. He didn't press her on further as he knew when she said those two words and how serious she was about it. He figured her father's work must be something that might bring danger to the family so for her protection, he had her trained.

'Very well. Show me tomorrow how good you are and I'll let your afterschool activities slide.' he said.

'OK...' Tsuna smiled. 'W-well, I have to go now...at six I have to be there.' Hibari nodded as Tsuna left him in the kitchen, leaving Hibari curious about her fighting level and what she made him this time. She cooks for him and leaves notes on how to make it, teaching him in the process, so he's on his way to becoming a good cook.

He got excited.

xxx

'You got caught by Hibari huh? Its bound to happen since everyday bar the week-long absence, he has food on the table and then none when you were gone.' said Reborn as Tsuna appeared at their training area by teleporting and she told him why she took longer than intended.

'He also said he wants to fight me tomorrow, interested in results.' said Tsuna. 'So should I go all out or hold back?'

'Measure his own level first.' said Reborn. 'Without getting too hurt in the process. Once you accurately measured his level, it depends on how strong both of you are and one of you are bound to be defeated.' he said. 'I have heard of his infamous reputation as well so I'm also interested. When will you fight?'

'He never specified so I don't know if its lunch time or afterschool...'

xxx

And so...

'EHHH?! You'll fight him? THAT Hibari?!' Yamamoto squawked out in shock as Tsuna nodded, twiddling her fingers. 'How did THAT happen?!'

'Well, I can't say but it ended up with me promising him.' said Tsuna sheepishly. 'So I'm kind of nervous...I never fought for real before!' she chuckled weakly while eating her usual vegetarian lunch with him that day.

'Jeez...' Yamamoto moaned in dismay, having wild imaginations on what she'll be like after Hibari was through with her and he was _terrified_.

She was amused and glad he cares.

'Maa maa, its bound to happen sometime...my workshop is self-defense after all.' Tsuna smiled. 'I'll be fine.' then her phone rang. It was from Sakura...and her issues with her new 'scary' guardian. She chuckled and sent a reply.

'Ohya, a friend?' Yamamoto blinked good-naturedly.

'Not much...an old kohai of mine from Tokyo. She's two years younger than me and tends to ask advice.' Tsuna said in bemusement. 'She's having jittery issues with the 'scary newcomer' in the family.' its easy to understand where Yue came from and Sakura has been around kind people all her life she wasn't used to one of his personality yet.

'You mean a relative staying over?'

'...yep.' "Not exactly..." after tucking away her phone... 'Well, let's go to the music room. We still have twenty minutes!' she chirped as they packed up their lunch.

Upon going to the music room, Tsuna sang a song for him while playing the piano.

xxx

After school...classes were about to end.

Three minutes before the bell rings...a tall, foreign man in a black suit with orange dress shirt and matching hat to match barged in.

'Reborn! Its not even bell yet!' Tsuna gasped out as everyone STARED at the tall, dark and handsome newcomer that the girls...and even their teacher gushed over. Tsuna, while agreeing that Reborn is handsome, she wasn't as affected as her female peers and the teacher, lacking social understanding because of her lack of any social interaction outside family prior Yamamoto.

'So? Not much of a time difference, Tsuna.' said Reborn. 'And this guy agrees.' he said, stepping aside to reveal Hibari. 'So come now student! Time's a wasting!' he barked, clapping his hands.

'Yeesh...' Tsuna groaned as she packed up.

'I-I'm coming too!' Yamamoto sputtered out, packing his stuff too.

'You don't need to...'

'I insist!' Reborn raised an eyebrow at his attitude and he was clearly worried for the young heiress. He placed a strong hand on Hibari who's against Yamamoto's coming, silencing him so the Prefect allowed him to come.

The thing is?

They ran quite the distance...to where their stage is!

'Whoa, we're really running to get there?' Yamamoto whistled. That, and they're all running as fast as they can too, sprinting all out! Tsuna and her tutor are...six meters ahead of them that the boys struggled to catch up. They had no idea that the two are THIS fast!

'Yeah! We don't use a car or anything...its to stay in shape and not get tired easily and quickly!' said Tsuna. 'We do this and then...well, whatever he has in store for me!' she chirped. 'We get odd looks once a while but some people are used to us running every day after school...' she chuckled.

"No kidding..." Yamamoto thought with a sweatdrop.

"Too fast!" Hibari swore. If not for the fact that this was 'usual routine', he could've sworn the pair were trying to lose them in a crowd!

xxx

Outside Namimori...Yamamoto and Hibari were too hot, and gasping for air. Their faces red as they inhaled and exhaled like they're starved. There's a HUGE difference between exercise jogging, and running like your life depended on it.

'You lads should be ashamed of yourselves.' said Reborn wryly while they got cold water from Tsuna from their cooler, and she was fanning them with a large fan they didn't care where she got it, with the heat torturing them. 'Yamamoto you're an athlete and Hibari, you're a fighter!' he scolded. 'Something this small shouldn't tire you so easily!'

'Maa maa, don't be so hard on them Reborn...' Tsuna chuckled while tending to the boys. 'They've never done this before!'

'If they're normal civilians like you once were, that's an excuse, but they're an athlete and a fighter so that's no longer an excuse!' Reborn snarked. 'I suppose they can have a one-hour break judging by the looks on their faces.' he grumbled. Tsuna sweatdropped but this was him 'being nice'.

'Hai hai...well, I'll get dinner ready, shall I?' Tsuna offered as she left.

'But we're far away from town...how will she carry food from there to here?' Yamamoto squawked out, baffled.

'Details, details.' Reborn waved off lazily. 'The means don't matter, just the ends.' the boys exchanged looks, wondering what kind of man her tutor is.


	7. Brat and Ex

Brat and Ex

Yamamoto and Hibari knew they have to severely re-adjust their opinion of one Sawada Tsuna. She's a good fighter but didn't go past ten minutes from Hibari who was doing this for years, fighting since he was a child while she started only recently, but physical condition, she exceeded him. Instincts and reflexes, just that as its her first time fighting, she wasn't good at making judgments just yet and that was what made her lose.

So Reborn promised her that he WILL be stricter on her...and she would be sparring with a 'friendly' every after school from now on.

That 'friendly', was Hibari.

'EHHHHH?!' Tsuna and Yamamoto gasped out while Hibari just smirked.

'Yes, him. Before Tsuna can get access to higher-level training, she has to beat him first.' Reborn declared. 'On weekends, they will fight for a whole day. On weekdays, physical training!'

'Er, can I join too?' Yamamoto asked Reborn. 'If only to look out for her!'

'Yamamoto-kun its still Midterms! One more week!' Tsuna chided. 'I told you to take a physical break the whole midterm didn't I?'

'Haha, yeah but watching isn't exactly strenuous...' Yamamoto laughed nervously, not wanting to leave her alone with the scariest person in town. 'I just can't leave you I just can't.'

Needless to say, Reborn was pleased. Good Guardians should never leave their bosses.

xxx

'So that boy is good guardian material?'

'Judging by his behavior and concern for my charge, yes. My charge is still new to socializing with her peers, given six years ago but she's lucky to find a nice catch of a guardian. The other one is also brimming with potential and he seems to like her.'

'What kind of like?'

'Given his reputation around town and info about him, he respects her for her skill and strength despite her inexperience. And he found out that she's secretly cooking for him.'

'Eh? Why'd she do that?'

'Well, despite her...condition six years ago, she strongly remembers who were nasty bullies to her and who are kind to her. Trauma if you will and she likes him, so her idea of thanks was ensuring he comes home to a good dinner since the boy lives alone. She hates this town but as long as the people she likes are here, its bearable and she doesn't feel lonely.'

'Ah.'

'Well, due to that, she has no clue how to socialize with her peers, focusing more on school, sports and now special education. But given what her future is, she must overcome her trauma one way or another.'

xxx

'So its because of security that you're learning how to fight?' Yamamoto mused as at lunch time, they were on their usual place: the roof.

'Yeah. Daddy's job kinda gets him into loads of trouble and he fears his enemies will use me to get to him so I gotta be good so he can rest easy. He wasn't able to sleep well until he sent me a tutor.' Tsuna explained.

'Oh...man, you told me what you put up with everyday, you're amazing. I'm not sure if I can survive that.'

'I never thought I did too but I did eventually.' Tsuna chirped. 'Once you learn and get better...the fact that you're better is exhilarating. You feel like superman or something.' she said jokingly. 'Well, the exams are coming up. How are you faring at schoolwork lately?'

'Well, my grades are definitely improving.' said Yamamoto happily. 'I guess I really did end up neglecting school from Baseball Pressure and sleeping longer did me good. I'm able to remember stuff tackled the previous day when I usually can't.'

'Well, exhaustion can affect us in bad ways and a vacation clearly did you some good.' Tsuna smirked. 'You should always put yourself first and what you know is good for you. Never do what others wanted you to do if it benefits only them with no effort on their part yet more stress on you.' she advised. 'Because if you're hurt, people who actually care for you will worry.'

'Ahahaha...'

Soon, the boys joined Tsuna's afterschool routine. Running to her training ground, Hibari took interest in Tsuna's physical, reflexes and instinct training while said training horrified Yamamoto into sweating buckets.

He was horrified that Tsuna had no idea how to socialize with her peers been alone all her life before he befriended her. That, he was working on.

He was horrified that she was still cheerful and innocent when most girls these days knew what's natural common sense and what having crushes are like. She just doesn't understand, being 'mentally younger'.

And now he's horrified that because of her father's job, she focused more on survival instead of being a normal teenager. What girls normally do as he often sees in school since he doesn't know much how girls work either. His only friend never got a chance to be...normal. Heck, she doesn't know what normal is! She's child-like, innocent yet somewhere, was darkness as she didn't like anyone else for some reason...she only likes him and Hibari. She's distant from anyone else.

When she thinks he's not looking...she has a distantly cold look on her face that will only light up if either he or Hibari are around.

He once asked Hibari if he knew anything about Tsuna...and what he learned was shocking.

Hibari spent a whole year protecting her from bullies, both male and female. Back at Kindergarten, she was pretty OK but all of a sudden, she became horribly clumsy and did horribly in school, she was even afraid to come up and down the stairs without an adult companion and everyone made fun of her and picked on her. Hibari being Hibari, drove them off her and despite her poor memory at the time, the trauma caused by her seventh year of life made her able to remember those who hurt her and those nice to her.

One day, she ran away from home. From word of mouth, she and her mother had a fight.

Her mother thought she became a tomboy and started picking fights while Tsuna denied that vehemently and stated she was bullied. Her mother didn't believe her, thinking she was worming her way out of trouble and the neighbors heard how loud they were and that night, Tsuna vanished...and given who the neighbors are, Tsuna's mother learned the truth but too late. All of Namimori was searched and she was never found by the police. Due to the situation, her school got a severe scolding for poor discipline that teachers got stricter on their students that they bullied one girl enough to hurt her. Apparently during that time, she was in Tokyo, adopted by a foster family since she got THAT far. Then some time due to her condition, was taken to a brain specialist...and discovered she had brain damage. She was hospitalized and faced therapy after therapy to go back to a normal life.

She worked hard judging by her school records when she moved back to Namimori, found by her father by coincidence when he and his colleagues went to Tokyo for business and saw her...Hibari wondered how the father persuaded her to go back to their hometown, but Tsuna stated conditions. 1. She'll never go back home and live alone in an apartment and 2. nobody from the family is to know since she resented her mother for not believing her when she needed her most. Feeling all alone with a world against her made Tsuna run away despite her horrible clumsiness and poor memory caused by brain damage and not even Tokyo's Hospitals could figure out when she got it that by the time she arrived in Tokyo, she had plenty of scrapes and bruises. That was what the school got from her with medical records to match from childhood to present.

It explained why Tsuna was cold to everybody.

She likes Hibari for he was her protector(she cooks for him since) and she likes him because he wasn't in her school at the time, thus did nothing to hurt her. And out of twisted irony, everyone in their school must be from their elementary days and she must have felt she's 'surrounded by the enemy' that she showed off her new academic and athletic prowess to show that she's no longer the no-good they used to know and she never forgave them hence her coldness. Hibari, when he saw her again in years, thought he'll have to protect her again but apparently, nobody remembered her because, well...she changed a lot!

Yamamoto must have figure that because of her father's job, Tokyo is a bit too obvious that a small town like Namimori is hardly noticeable, and safe for her to live in despite bad memories that came with it. So safety is a primary concern than her own discomfort. Uncomfortable enough that it took Tsuna quite a while to accept him as a friend. She never had any before so she really had no idea what to do and it was him who taught her what friends are like.

To sum up what he knew of her, she's 'damaged' but somehow grew up skilled, matured and wise.

That, and she sure holds a grudge.

xxx

After school...

'Oh my, Reborn!' Tsuna gasped out as in their shared apartment, was a cage...with a sleeping child dressed in a cow suit in it, and mummified with a rope from neck down with a comical x-shaped duct tape on the mouth. 'Who is he?'

'I believe a 'destined' as foretold by your family...although I really don't see how.' Reborn told her wryly while throwing the child a baleful look.

'Well...' Tsuna smiled. 'We'll just have to fix him a bit. According to the fortune foretold, he's an obnoxiously loud, spoiled child but has a good heart if raised right.' she said. 'Well, how about we make our lives easier with a little cheating?' she said, with her hands glowing. 'Children are naturally loud, but I can 'get rid' of the obnoxious and spoiled part, then we raise him to be a good child!'

Reborn smirked.

'I like that. None of us here are equipped to deal with brats. Moreover with future housemates coming. It'll be a busy house soon.' Reborn has no patience and Tsuna's background means she has also no patience in raising brats, having no experience whatsoever despite her wonderful personality.

Not only that, a pink-haired woman on a mommy bike watched the apartment from afar.

xxx

Bianchi, a.k.a Poison Scorpion watched.

She would have come earlier to relieve Reborn of his burden but suddenly, there's an Arcobaleno-fest in the apartment! One after another, they came...and stuck around for several days, she had to wait. Next thing she knew among the grapevine, Vongola gained powerful allies and the Giglio Nero Famiglia allied with the Vongola Famiglia! Just what on earth happened?

Then she's not seeing her lover and the new saddler lately...apparently, the neighbors see a longhaired girl running at incredible speeds, carrying a black-clad baby and now two more boys joined the chase recently and nobody could find them.

Now, they're at home!

Tomorrow, she will nail that girl on the way to school.

And so...while she waited in a corner, a boy went inside the apartment...and came out with her target.

'...oh, so about that guest of yours...'

'Reborn wasn't too happy about Lambo-kun but he's a nice child. I guess he wasn't used to babysitting children and no idea what to do since he's been raising teenagers for students...well, he'll have an easier time since I made a lot of food for them and goodness gracious Lambo-kun eats a lot for a tiny child his size...but too much sweets is a bad thing so I had Reborn make sure he's eating all his vegetables or he's free to throw the sweets out the window as punishment.' she giggled in amusement. 'We skipped training because I really had to make a lot of snacks!'

'Oh wow, lucky kid...' Yamamoto sweatdropped. 'At this rate he'll be spoiled...your ability in making sweets is really high! Where did you learn that from?'

'Well, in Tomoeda!' Tsuna grinned. 'Tomoeda starts kids young in cooking but to be safe, it's only baking until Grade 4 when we're tall enough for the stove.'

'Heee...well, my dad heard about your cooking and he's hoping that you'd bake us a nice fresh cake.'

'Haha, maybe around summer...Reborn's got my afterschool hours fully booked and now with Lambo, poor kid will train in Boot Camp too with us too.'

'Ohhh man, poor kid indeed! I feel sorry for him.'

Bianchi listened to every word while pretending to be a public janitor sweeping dried leaves on the ground.

xxx

At school...

Bianchi who was nearby was in disbelief as three teenagers with Reborn riding on Tsuna's head were running in fast speeds out of school...and came back waaay late at night that she had time beforehand to try and get into the apartment but for some reason, she could NOT get into their room, and no amount of Poison Cooking worked! She can't even break glass windows!

As expected of Vongola, she supposed...she would try again tomorrow.

Late at night...Reborn stopped Tsuna while he took out a gun and shot something. While Tsuna can't see it, Reborn still kept her at quite a distance until he deemed it OK. She knew at once why.

'She's been here isn't she?' Tsuna smirked in amusement while she carried poor exhausted Lambo.

'Aah. Too bad for her you fortified the house.' Reborn chuckled. 'I'll deal with her tomorrow. Just worry about school.' he reassured her. 'Give me a skeleton key and that ring you made for this occasion.'

'Heheh...OK.' Tsuna chirped as they went inside to take a bath together even with Lambo asleep from exhaustion. Reborn got the items the next day.

Next day was Midterm Exams...and they all had three days to study for it with a lot of sleep...and then when results came out...

'Oh man oh man oh man, I wonder how I did? I was rank 125 last time...' said Yamamoto weakly as Tsuna guided him to the notice board, his eyes shut with his own fingers out of nervousness. He studied hard and slept a lot, even taking naps...even tutored by her at Math even!

'Well, you can open now~!' Tsuna chirped as Yamamoto opened his eyes to see that out of 180 students, he ranked 125 last time at Prelims and steadily doing worser but now, his marks improved and he's now 59. 'It's a great leap so maybe by the time its Finals, you might be among Top 20!' she beamed as Yamamoto stared in disbelief at his new placing.

'W-wow...59?' he choked before fainting.

'...is getting a few notches up high that shocking?' Tsuna giggled as she herself, was placed 24. A pretty high position. 'I guess to infirmary we go~!'

Thus, she put him on bed, telling Dr. Shamal he's shocked that his grades rose up several notches from where he used to be, so let him sleep off his shock on bed.

'Now I've seen everything.' Dr. Shamal remarked wryly. 'Fainting from the shock of getting good grades sure is one strange way to land oneself in the infirmary.' he said in utter sarcasm.

'Ahaha...well, from peer pressure forcing him to commit too much on baseball, his grades plunged down below enough to impress a skydiver and now that he listened to my advice on taking baseball vacation and crack a book, his grades rose.' Tsuna smiled, patting Yamamoto's head. 'I hope he can keep this up but its his own decision to make.'

'You care a lot for this guy huh?' Dr. Shamal said thoughtfully. From what he's heard, she's very fond of two boys in school.

'Well...just as oniisan was my first protector...Yamamoto was my first friend.' said Tsuna as she fixed her skirt. 'They mean a lot to me. Well, let him sleep here. Nothing to do today anyway and tomorrow's summer vacation.'

xxx

Bianchi listened to her ex-lover(whom she believes still is), about why she could not get in into the apartment and HOW she could get in...but she's only allowed inside wearing both the Skeleton Key and the Ring Tsuna created. With the key she can go in and out anywhere, and with the ring, her Poison Cooking powers are sealed and she can cook normal food without worrying about killing anyone. But if the ring is off, her powers will come back. Tsuna's rule is that Bianchi can only make Poison Cooking if 1: everyone is OUT of the house. 2: she gets all deadly fumes out by the time she's done. 3: she brings her own fridge and other means of storage separate from their food stock and 4: she uses her own ingredients. Rules Bianchi agreed to as long as she's allowed in near her lover.

Hey, she can live in with him! Not a bad deal and when she heard Reborn as to WHY Arcobaleno came around the same time she did...

She decided its in her best interests not to mess with Reborn's current charge. She has powerful backing and her 'help' was the reason the Giglio Nero allied with Vongola and the Arcobaleno owed her a great debt that she could call on them anytime, no strings attached or does not clash with their current jobs and loyalties.

So now, the current guests are herself and Lambo, whom Tsuna wanted trained and disciplined for 'the future'.

xxx

Reborn inwardly sighed. While for infant Arcobalenos time no longer mattered so they don't care about age anymore...he likes his lovers as young as possible and 13-14 is the youngest anyone can go as in the Mafia World, you're 'of age' and can work.

The reason he left Bianchi was because she's too clingy and a Yandere that creeped him out. He took interest and 'took care' of her when she was Tsuna's age when he thought she's beautiful, graceful, demure AND a competent co-worker. Yes, she's got all that, he just didn't expect two more factors that in one year, he happily accepted the job from the Cavallone Family to tutor their no-good son to get away from her only for her to track him there and try to off his pupil...which he uses as Survival Training anyway.

Right now, he enjoyed his current job. Tsuna. Despite her trauma, she was raised well by the Mizukis. And combined with her genetics, she was many things; beautiful, kind, serene, caring and mature, Tsuna is polite, level-headed and effortlessly elegant combined with her choice of clothes. She is also perceptive, wise and generous...TOO generous that she's willing to help without expecting anything in return and it was his own nagging that she should at least benefit from it as they're in a mafia world now. She is also a strong believer of fate, destiny and their product of inevitability. But will also do anything to defy 'bad fates' if she could to protect those important to her. She is also innocent and naïve.

She knows he's many years older than her, an immortal frozen in time due to his curse and a man in his late fifties, yet she would take baths with him, dress and undress before him, and has no clue how social life, norms and common sense between boys and girls work and being away from her peers too long due to isolation and insecurity due to her past, she was unable to 'mentally catch up'. So despite being aware she's 13 and a middle schooler, it just does not sink in that she's a blossoming beautiful flower whose beauty as a woman he enjoyed in their time together. He was hoping that with careful raising, she would be his lover too once he teaches her what romantic love is.

Well, with Bianchi here now...that puts a snag in his plans and he wondered WHO is the big mouth who said he'd be here, hence the Mizukis knew years in advance who would be Tsuna's houseguests, he would love to track em' down and kill em'. He wanted to see and feel what kind of lover Tsuna will be and enjoy her love before Nono marries her off to someone else and be out of his reach forever before he moves on to another lady love. For now, he would have to be careful in revealing their location of training. He wants his peaceful hours, thank you!


	8. New Family Members

New Family Members

Summer...is one thing one Hibari Kyoya and Yamamoto Takeshi looked forward to.

After Finals, from 59, Yamamoto went to 28 when he made a decision NOT to rejoin the Baseball Club...so Tsuna helped him out by 'fixing things' with her powers. His coach and club forgot him, the whole school forgot he's in the baseball club, no records whatsoever and even he himself forgot. All he remembers is that he's a big fan of baseball and possesses skills of one, but didn't want to join the club since he didn't feel like it and will join when he 'works up his nerves'.

Summer is when physical training begins, too...for Hibari and Yamamoto. Tsuna and Lambo are ahead of them by weeks and days respectively.

Tsuna got up early morning to cook huge breakfast, lunch, and dinner to bring to their training area, and prepared cold water which she shrinks, and un-shrinks upon arrival and ensuring they were the first to arrive before the boys do.

'Alright you four,' said Reborn in his baby form. 'I got your regime today!' he barked as he showed them various training machines. 'All of these will work on everything I want: Physical Strength, Muscular Conditioning, Agility Training, Speed Training and Reflexes!' he said with a sinister smile as the boys gulped while Tsuna just looked resigned to her fate. 'Now then...let's begin shall we, chumps? Training ends three days before Second Semester since the three of you, have Summer Homework so I'll be a bit considerate.'

'Er...yay?' Yamamoto blinked weakly as soon, hell ensued.

Routine was going there at 6 am on time and in order, Reflexes, Speed, Agility and Physical/Muscular Conditioning, with the training ending at around 10 pm for them to get a good night's sleep with the teenagers and one child staying at Hibari's House which was the nearest to their training area and all of them were ordered to stay together so nobody will be late and Reborn was in charge of supplying groceries for Tsuna to use. This was a hellish 39 days of summer.

Muscles and joints ached, which Tsuna fixed with massages and 'improved' painkillers.

However, its easy to see that Reborn was the hardest and 'cruelest' on Hibari with Tsuna coming second, but at least her physical workout was less as to not ruin her feminine figure.

'Hey kid, how come you're the hardest on Hibari?' Yamamoto asked one lunch time after they wolfed down fried rice with diced vegetables and eggs with tuna sashimi slices smeared with soy sauce and mirin, and chicken balls. A heavy lunch and dinner is light in comparison.

'I'm the hardest on him because out of you kids, he's the strongest and the oldest.' said Reborn. 'Simple as that.'

That's what he says as in reality, according to Vongola's most kept secrets, Cloud Guardians are the strongest fighters due to their Propagation Factors. Everything they do in training and their training results are Propagated by their flames on their bodies, so they could endure the strictest and hardest of trainings, and get more benefits after they heal. As for Rains like Yamamoto, he recovers faster from Exhaustion due to the Tranquility Factor in his body, 'tranquilizing' his sore muscles and aching joints but not as fast as Sun Flame users in recovery.

Hibari's innate propagation ability will be exploited by Reborn as he is the safest training opponent Tsuna and Yamamoto could get without getting themselves killed while he handles Lambo.

Sure, Tsuna got rid of the obnoxiousness and spoiled brat characteristics in his character, leaving only 'loud good boy' behind. They also got to know Lambo during the summer.

Lambo is a hitman in training...whose job was to assassinate Reborn, ordered by his family. And he went to do it in hopes for his family's approval since he was the runt of the family, not having much attention he felt really lonely. He thought if he did the job, his parents would tell him how proud they are of him and pay attention to him at long last. His explanation made Tsuna feel sorry for him and her heart went out to the sad little boy who thought murder is the best way to earn his parents' love! This. was. horrifying.

Tsuna thought his family must be incredibly STUPID to send a CHILD to kill a seasoned veteran hitman despite his infant appearance or do the Bovino Family judge people by their looks?

Reborn thought so too because the idea was also idiotically laughable, and showed Lambo how he is one incredibly difficult and frightening quarry in his training. That, and Lambo is the Prey, Reborn is the Predator that sent the poor child crying many times in hysterics while growing and developing. Tsuna also took to raising him, giving the boy what he hungered for while Reborn grills him good in everything else to make a good Guardian out of him. That, and Tsuna managed to get him out of his cow print onesie and made him wear a cow print button-up shirt, a sleeveless jacket, brown trousers and shoes instead. But Lambo's hair is a mystery...created by his nutcases for relatives. They experimented on his fluffy curly hair to give it Hammerspace Pocket so he could store anything he wanted, but has the capacity of a medium-sized bucket due to the fact that he is a child, and it will 'expire' when he's ten. In his hair, he has candies, pink grenades and 10-Year Bazooka.

Yeah. Those.

Come Second Semester...their routines still remain...although on the first day of Second Semester, Gokudera Hayato enrolled into their class, a changed person.

xxx

Gokudera Hayato aimed high. A tad too high for someone his age as his Tutor Colonello noted.

He aimed to be a boss' Right-Hand Man as he feels its where he should be. Being a boss or a common lackey was the last thing in his mind.

So Colonello grilled him good and harshly criticized his current abilities with a wickedly sharp tongue, that he was weaker than a high school kid in combat as he relied on Dynamites wherein one good hit, and he's out. All his dynamites are good for, are demolitions and unnecessary property damage that will cause problems for anyone he works for and of course, the paperwork and bills that came with it. He is also hot-blooded, reckless, rushes head-on(proven in training) without thinking and impatient and can't even work in a team, doing things his way in a bid to get attention. In the blonde Arcobaleno's opinion, his only redeeming quality is his intelligence which was put to use in learning logic, puzzles, riddles, and computers, and reading as many books as possible while enduring training from hell...and a Spirit Bullet that has a 50-50 chance of succeeding, depending on his resolve to succeed in his dreams.

He survived and wound up learning all Colonello knew about being COMSUBIN and still learning more.

He was taught that a Right-Hand Man must be the most competent person; possessing a lot of knowledge and skills, a person a boss can completely count on without a shred of doubt, and a leader to those around him when the boss is not around, giving tasks in his/her place. That, and a Right-Hand Man must know their boss well in order to synchronize and perfectly work together and share the same ideals that he knew what to do that would be approved of or knew what he or she wanted done in situations. He also got full details about his boss, Sawada Tsuna and the two boys she associates with and all four tutored by Reborn, and Colonello told Gokudera he's damn lucky to have her as his boss and bosses like her are so damn rare working for such people is a luxury. So he better do his job right. Be a man she could rely on when things get rough and hard on her as unlike him, she was a magic-using normal girl thrust into mafia due to her bloodline while he grew up knowing mafia.

So its up to him to aid her in running the family as is his job. But for now, their primary concern was getting stronger to survive as should word of Tsuna's identity as Vongola Decimo in Training leaks...they're all in for a fight of their lives. Their jobs can wait until all of them are fully-trained and educated. And they all have until High School to become very skilled and powerful fighters. Until then, Vongola will do all they can to keep their identities and positions under wraps.

Now that he's at school, same class as the beautiful boss who smiled at him kindly, Colonello was right. He was lucky. A family to belong in and a kind, caring boss worth dying for. He would definitely be the best Right-Hand in the world or his name ain't Gokudera Hayato.

xxx

'Heee, so he's your bodyguard? He came kinda late though.' Yamamoto mused as they ate lunch at the rooftop.

'Well it can't be helped...all of us needed training.' Tsuna smiled. 'We all just started as soon as we were told...Hayato-kun, how's your time with Colonello-san?' she asked Gokudera who looked like death warmed over.

'...Sgt. Brutus looks like a happy cheerful baby in comparison to him Tsuna-sama.' Gokudera lamented gloomily. 'I nearly died 75 times.' Tsuna and Yamamoto wondered what exactly, did Colonello made him do. Then again, there's the word 'colonel' in his name of course a sergeant is low-rank in comparison. 'B-but don't worry! I assure you that you can count on me!' he added quickly before Tsuna giggled again.

'Even though your sister is living with me because Reborn does?' Gokudera turned cracked white granite in horror.

'She's here?!' he squawked in morbid horror. 'Tsuna-sama, did she turn your foodstuff into Poison Cooking?! I will take full responsibility!' he cried apologetically, prostrating before her. Yamamoto wondered what Japanese he studied as last he checked, Samurai and vassals did that in history books...and what Poison Cooking? Is his sister THAT bad of a Chef to warrant such words?

'Maa maa, she's actually a high-class chef if er...restrained.' Tsuna chuckled, placating him. 'Why, I enjoyed the Pigeon Pate she made!' Gokudera looked utterly shocked. 'If she wasn't her uh...usual self, she's actually an excellent cook! I haven't **died** yet as you can see!' she said cheerfully. Gokudera looked utterly baffled and her statement made Yamamoto sweatdrop. 'In fact...she made me this!' she showed Gokudera her bento. It was clearly foreign dishes. Roasted Snapper, Lasagna and meatballs.

'S-she really...made this?' Gokudera croaked out, bug-eyed at the food. 'Its not purple, and its not toxic pink which is usually her trademark...' at this, Yamamoto began to REALLY wonder now...

'It's really her work.' Tsuna reassured him. 'Try a bite.' she used chopsticks to get a piece of fish and shoved it into the boy's mouth.

To Gokudera's surprise, no poison to instantly affect him as soon as the food touched his tongue. 'I-I'm still alive...and it's good?!'

'Told you so~!' Tsuna chirped as she started eating her food...and given what she just did, the boys looked horrified with a dark blush on their cheeks as the lone girl in their group cheerfully ate her lunch without a care in the world.

"Indirect Kiss!"

xxx

Said chef was over the moon.

For many years, NOBODY wanted to eat her cooking even if offered money in the world. Those who ate went to heaven sooner than scheduled in the Book of Life as its her weapon in her job as a hitman. For many years, anything she cooks...turns into poison. There are rare Poison Chefs in Mafia Family Bloodlines as chances of it happening is 1/1000.

Bianchi was born with this power and it manifested when she was nine years old and her first-ever cooking, were cookies. She made it for her brother Hayato before his first piano recital in their father's party...that made him perform that 'wonderful abstract performance' that their father made her make more every party for her brother.

Hayato looked horrified and ran away each time, hiding until his performance, and one time she cornered him, threw the cupcake she gave him at a cat...said cat ate it...and died!

Bianchi never knew that her cooking was Poison Cooking until Dr. Shamal who was employed by the family at the time, explained it to the family.

By that time, Hayato was completely traumatized that by the time he sees her face, he automatically gets a horrible stomachache and nausea and their father who insisted on the cookies every piano recital never knew he damaged his son to the extent he could no longer stand his sister without 'side-effects' and he gets ill for hours as a child and thought it was why he ran away at age 8 when there's another party and piano recital. According to Shamal, if a person gets daily exposure to Poison Cooking, they would also eventually 'get poisoned' by looking at the chef who poisoned them, unable to look at them without getting ill first.

Due to her power, her potential as a hitman is pretty good...but it also meant suitors for her are nearly-non-existent, fearing her cooking.

At age 13, traditional time for mafia ladies to have suitors as marriage is at 17 for ladies while for men-any age as long as its ten years older is OK. She had NONE except for a boy she met. Romeo, a distant relative of the Bovinos but his family isn't Mafioso. His father left the mafia family he's from and opened a farm since mafia life wasn't his cup of tea, being a pacifist. His son Romeo is a cool, handsome, suave guy who she met and they began dating...until she found out he was juggling her with five other girls simultaneously, a Casanova!

She was so mad she threw her Poison Cake at his face, killing him by accident too.

Age 14 when she began working as a hitman...she met Reborn.

Every mafia child would know what an Arcobaleno is. Seven Strongest of their Era cursed to become 'immortal infants', thus he's older than he looks.

He treated her like a woman and a co-worker.

Not only that, they became lovers too...as long as she doesn't cook that is, since he heard of her. Their dates are at work and at restaurants. He treated her well which was why she fell in love with him even if...well...they can't 'do it' and as far as romantic gestures go, its hugs, cuddles and kisses.

Then he's gone too, hired for horrifyingly long jobs, leaving her lonely! Babysitting the Cavallone guy whom she tried to off to get Reborn back only to learn he's a future Mafia Boss she had to lay off or the Vindice will come and her future will be in Vendicare.

Then there's Tsuna, the beautiful, naive heiress of Vongola. Princess personified with her personality and character, but romance is the last thing on her mind despite the good-looking boys she's with and now her brother joined her, hoping to be her Number-Two and her brother grew up as beautiful as his mother after six years of not seeing him and got his own reputation. So child-like despite her personality Bianchi has no worries about losing Reborn to her.

Oh how wrong she is.

Little does she know Reborn was already falling in love with Tsuna despite knowing he can never have her, to be married off to a man Nono and Iemitsu will approve for her.

xxx

Home...

'I'm home!' Tsuna called out cheerfully. 'Hayato-kun's at school with us now!' she chimed, while hearing, 'Okaeri Tsuna-nee!' from a cheerful Lambo as she opened her arms to catch him. 'Fufu, tadaima, Lambo-chan!' she cooed to the child who snuggled at her bosom.

Reborn swore he'll make his life hell later tonight.

'Really, Hayato's in your class, Vongola?' Bianchi perked up.

'Yeah! I even gave him some of your Roasted Snapper for lunch, he couldn't believe you made it!' Tsuna giggled. 'Well, when Yamamoto went home, I told him about your Ring Seal so...' she looked outside. 'Come in!' a lock of silver hair showed from the doorpost. Then Gokudera hesitatingly peeked inside before suffering his stomachache and nausea and collapsed. 'Eek!'

Bianchi sighed.

And so...

'I see...so that's what happens when exposed to too much Poison Cooking huh?' Tsuna mused as she asked Reborn to go ahead with the boys and she'll catch up. 'I'll adjust your ring a bit, Bianchi-san.' said Tsuna, holding out her hand for Bianchi to give her back her Ring Seal. 'Reborn once told me that antidotes can be made from poison...I'll be re-adjusting your ring so you can heal Hayato-kun with your cooking by using Poisoned Ingredients and the ring will turn the food into Antidote Cooking.'

'A-antidote cooking?' Gokudera choked out as Bianchi blinked owlishly as Tsuna adjusted her creation using a magic circle.

'Yes...if Poison Cooking's appearance is what you called 'toxic purple and pink', Antidote Cooking will be glowing golden light in appearance. Bianchi-san, for you to create Antidote Cooking, think of healing, not killing someone.' she instructed. 'For others to heal from your poison, they must consume an antidote product made by you in proportion to how poisoned they are.'

'And in Hayato's case, poisoned enough he can't even look at me without getting sick.' Bianchi sighed as when Tsuna was done, she gave Bianchi back her ring. 'I'll try this thing out...Antidote Cooking. Father thought he ran away from home in fear of another Piano Recital since he usually eats my 'good luck cookies' before a performance...' Tsuna sweatdropped while on bed, Gokudera turned away from the two females with a dark look on his face but refused to let them know the face he made.

Gokudera told them of his trauma by Poison Cooking and he apparently, wasn't kidding.

Suddenly, Tsuna's phone rang.

'Hello? Ah Sakura-chan? What is it? Huh? A rain over Tomoeda that doesn't stop since last night and Clow Reed's presence lingers? And your key won't respond to the magic words? Send me a picture on the phone. I'll give you a minute.' and she put the phone down. 'Oh boy.'

'Supernatural things are happening in Tomoeda again, Tsuna-sama?' Gokudera asked Tsuna who nodded.

'Hai...but my family saw this coming.' said Tsuna as she sat at the couch with him. 'There will be trouble in Tomoeda for Sakura-chan to transform the Clow Cards as she is their new Master thus they must fall under her power. With the trouble the cards caused last year, they ran out of what little power they have left from their creator. If their new master doesn't transform the cards to draw magic off her, the cards will slowly die...the closer they are to death by starvation, the colder their cards are to the touch and eventually, become no more than ordinary, useless cards.' she explained. 'These pranks are to train her by Clow's descendant who inherited his will to make her claim the cards as fully hers. Its just pranks, nothing too harmful I hope...'

Her phone beeped...and she got the picture. 'Hooo? A cute pink and yellow star huh? I know the problem~!' she called back. 'Sakura-chan, your magic words use the word 'darkness' in it as until Spring, you were still drawing on the remains of Clow Reed's power right? Right now as your wand changed form, it now draws on your own power and its right under your nose! If Clow's source of magic is Darkness, yours is Stars. Change the wording of your incantation from Darkness to Stars as its your power the wand is drawing from now. You can no longer rely on Clow Reed's remaining power as its all gone since the Final Judgment. You are now to fight on your own power.'

xxx

Tomoeda...

Sakura looked at her new key with inspiration.

'What did she say, Sakura?' Kero asked Sakura who took a deep breath and tried again.

O Key that conceals the power of my star, reveal your true nature to me, by my power I command you! Release!

It worked...and it later gave her the hint that if her wand changed, the cards needed changing too...

xxx

Soon, Bianchi presented golden food before her brother. It was minestrone soup and everything in it is golden!

'Well, I'll be going to training now!' Tsuna chirped, vanishing in sparkles, leaving the siblings alone.


	9. Chucked to the Past

Chucked to the Past

Tomoeda...

'So since senpai said your wand changed, you thought your cards should also change too, Sakura-chan?' Tomoyo asked Sakura who nodded.

'Yeah...I thought about it long and hard.' said Sakura. 'Because I'm the new Master, the cards no longer use Clow's magic...but mine. But they can't draw magic from me without changing too...and then that incantation came out of the blue because Firey won't respond to me with my new wand...inspiration I guess?' she said sheepishly.

'What's the incantation to change the cards, Sakura?' Kero asked her. 'I didn't exactly hear you while trapped in the whirlpool.'

'Eto ne...I said 'Card created by Clow, discard thy old form and be reborn anew, under your new Master Sakura' and then Firey changed.' Kero used his psychic powers to take out the pink Sakura Book and took out the now Pink and Yellow Firey Card(the stars were yellow, everything else is pink and red).

'Indeed it is so.' said Shaoran. 'But changing is a bit too much for you right now.'

'I agree...you fell asleep right away from exhaustion after changing a card...' said Tomoyo fretfully. 'It must take a lot of power.'

'I know...' said Sakura gloomily. 'But I gotta do it or I really can't use them if they're still Clow Cards.' she then gulped. 'So I gotta do what I gotta do and I'll do it on weekends!'

'Oy oy, your father and brother WILL worry suspiciously if you get tired on weekend schedules!' Kero sputtered out.

'I agree. Use random days to change cards, Kinomoto. What you intend to do is reckless!' Shaoran scolded worriedly.

'E-ehhh OK...' Sakura smiled. 'I'll decide what cards to change.'

'Start with the weaker cards for now.' Shaoran advised. 'That way they won't cause you too much stress.' he said with a light blush to Tomoyo's amusement...while Kero looked annoyed.

'I WAS ABOUT TO SAY THAT!' he screeched angrily.

xxx

Namimori...that night in the wee hours after a bath...Tsuna was singing Lambo a lullaby as she does every night.

In the night sky they twinkle,  
>The far stars of gold<br>The same color as the small bird  
>That looked up in my dream last night<p>

'...is she always singing at night?' Gokudera wondered aloud to Reborn while still woozy from 'Poison Face Syndrome'. He had to keep eating Antidote Cooking and then getting poisoned by Bianchi's face again, rinse and repeat and his reaction to her is steadily improving.

'Aa. She's always singing lullabies to Lambo.' said Reborn. 'Nice singing voice isn't it?'

'Singing lullabies?' Gokudera thought his boss is really a good singer with a pretty voice but her voice is the kind that sings gentle songs like this.

'Aa. Lambo never got to know a mother's love since he was the runt of the family.' said Reborn. 'So Tsuna is filling in. She learned how to be a good mother from her foster sister who raised her. Mizuki Kaho is purely responsible for her character as well and that lady is in England now with a boyfriend while working as a Teacher. She feels that Lambo who is horribly neglected should know what its like to have a mother and adopted him.'

I sing this song alone  
>In the sleepless night<br>I fly riding on my thoughts  
>On the blowing wind<p>

In the night sky, it sparkles  
>The distant moon of silver<br>The same color as the wild rose  
>that was blooming in my dream last night<p>

Gokudera thought, "Lucky Bastard." because he never knew his own mother too well. All he knew is that she's beautiful, kind and gentle and taught him how to play the piano in what little time they had together. That time was too little but at least he knew his mother loved him and he barely tasted a mother's love before she was taken from him. It was why he ran away from home and not from Bianchi's cooking.

In the gentle night,  
>I sing this song alone<br>Let me sing with you tomorrow  
>Riding the wings of dreams...<p>

xxx

Second Semester PE is no longer sports, but swimming.

Thus at the changing room...pandemonium...when Tsuna undressed with her peers, with most of them naked in order to put on the standard school swimsuit.

'OOOOHHHH!' all girls looked at her to Tsuna's utter puzzlement.

'Sawada-san, what did you do to get a body like that?!'

'It's not fair! We're the same age and yet~!' moaned another girl in dismay at utter unfairness.

'Her boobs are big, small waist and her hips are flared like models have!' Next door where the boys' changing rooms are, ears are definitely wagging and many imaginations ran wild with red faces and nosebleeding.

'You ninny, models these days are so skinny, not like this!'

'She wasn't that big in uniform though...' another thought thoughtfully while a girl behind her peered in Tsuna's locker to see a certain thing.

'Ooh look! A sports bra! No wonder we didn't see it!'

'Yeah, you'd see bodies like this on those creepy playboy magazines boys read!'

'So what did you do girl? C'mon, share the blessings!'

'Eh?! Eto I just eat a lot and then exercise a lot...' Tsuna stammered out. 'My sister said that before I hit 10, I should do a lot of pushups so I won't regret it when I grow up but I really don't see _how_ I won't regret it!' she said wryly. 'I don't feel anything different.'

'Look at your chest!' Tsuna did so and looked at her breasts while in the corner of her eyes, saw her peers'.

'...ah, it's big.' she stated in a deadpan while dressing up. 'Bigger than everyone's...so this is what neesan meant huh? I just don't see what the fuss is about, it's just a chest.' yep, she really doesn't care at all.

'J-just?!'

'If you don't want it let ME have it! I want a boyfriend!'

xxx

Boys' Room...its another story entirely.

After the discussion about Tsuna, the boys finally got to undressing themselves when all eyes are on Yamamoto and Gokudera.

'Whoa! What did you two DO to be like that?!' while most of their male peers are typical skinny boys, two boys mentioned are still slender yet muscular. They have obvious, but not-too-big shoulder, back, biceps, triceps, lower arm muscles, chest muscles, love handles and six-packs.

'Er, workout?' Yamamoto said jovially.

'Jeez, its none of your businesses!' Gokudera grunted.

'Maa maa...working out is really nice.' said Yamamoto. 'For me its a necessity since the fish my dad handles are really heavy I need the extra muscle so I'm pretty justified!'

'Then what about Gokudera?'

'My life and my body belongs ONLY to Tsuna-sama!' Gokudera declared passionately...and a tad too loudly that girls in the other room gasped. That was as good as a LOVE CONFESSION.

'Uso?!'

'Did you hear that?!'

'Ooooh!'

Tsuna's only reaction is two owlish blinks and tilting her head to the left side cutely. 'Phwee?'

She didn't get it nor understood what her peers went gaga about.

xxx

Swimming Class...

'Alright class, welcome to Swimming PE.' said their teacher. 'Tomfoolery is NOT tolerated in this class, you hear me?! NO running in the Pool Premises, No Jewelry or Accessories allowed, unless its the prescribed swimming accessories!' she barked while wearing a jacket over a swimsuit. 'We'll begin the basics so here's our schedule...lessons on Mondays to Thursdays and Free Swimming on Fridays!'

The class cheered.

'Now then, everyone have their Swimming Caps, Earplugs, Noseclips and Goggles? We will first do Survival Swimming Techniques! Then in groups of 6, you will all take turns repeating the technique for five minutes until your bodies are used to it! Someday if you guys fall into deep water, even the basics will save your lives so take this seriously! So before we go swimming, take notes as I will dictate this and this will be in your exams!'

The teacher talked about the Purpose, Health, and Risks, before teaching them Survival Floating and Back Floating.

Well, most boys could NOT concentrate...too busy being boys with the main focus on Tsuna and the girls bar Tsuna herself(who sees it everyday) are oogling at the muscular handsome boys who are unfortunately for them, devoted to Tsuna only.

xxx

After school...

'Muuu...you two are acting really strange lately...' said Tsuna with a pout as they ran for their training area. Since swimming classes, the boys were acting strangely. 'And Hayato-kun, I know you're my bodyguard but saying your life and body belongs to me is a tad...too much.' she chuckled weakly. 'Take care of yourself first!'

'Ehehe, h-hai...' Gokudera blushed starkly. She heard his declaration!

'Saa, let's go or we'll be late!' and at training...it so happens that Reborn wanted her to do flexibility training just so she wouldn't get rusty as her fighting style centered on it...much to the boys' horror, especially when he made her wear a short shorts for a week they really could NOT concentrate.

It was mostly for Reborn's amusement actually and he was more amused when he noted obvious reactions while his main student is as oblivious as ever to the wonderful pains of growing up. Well, Tomoeda must really keep children TOO innocent and 'too mentally young', being in a really peaceful place.

One day...Tsuna became a target for one Eriol Hiiragizawa's tests for Tsuna who screwed up some of his plans just through one advice, even though it helped faster and he was feeling impish at the time.

He had 'borrowed' the Return Card, and used it to send Tsuna to the past and Bianchi, Lambo and Reborn's horror, a black hole appeared, wrapped around Tsuna and it took her away.

'Tsuna!'

'Tsuna-nee!'

'That's it, we're calling a Professional over!' Reborn growled. He had heard from Tsuna about certain plans for Sakura and this wasn't part of the plan and he wants his student back, dammit!

xxx

Early 19th Century...

Vongola Mansion when it was just freshly constructed, sponsored for by Vongola's many supporters and admirers...

'Wow...isn't this a bit much for our home and Headquarters?' G mused as he and his friends looked up at the mansion.

'Indeed...I mean, its a pretty big place...although at least its a bit smaller than what noblemen in my country used to have.' said Asari.

'Maa maa, we have no use for ridiculously big castles like Feudal Lords and the Royal Family back in Japan Ugetsu.' Giotto chuckled. 'In this mansion, its just for us, men truly loyal to us and some household help though we have to work on that though.' he said as they went in to explore their new home when a black hole appeared before them, startling them.

'Wha?!' they braced themselves and they heard at first a 'whisper' of a scream that got louder and louder till normal volume of a scream, and out came a long-haired beautiful girl in an odd dress and just white stockings(anything casual Lolita is odd to them). It was Alaude who caught her when she was 'thrown out' of the black hole.

'Oh dear.' was all Daemon could say numbly as they all blinked, wide-eyed. The girl shakily stood up from her support and looked up at Alaude and gasped before getting off him.

'Ah, gomenkudasai!' she apologized hastily before blinking, and looking around. She looked baffled too. 'Aiya...watashi wa doko? Koko wa Namimori ja nai...da yone?' Alaude, Daemon, Lampo, Knuckle and G looked at their two Asian friends at this. They didn't understand what she said at all.

'She apologized to Alaude.' said Giotto. 'And she's wondering where she is thinking Italy isn't Namimori. It must be where she came from.' he explained as Asari asked the newcomer girl questions. And the girl looked...lost and fretful but still managing to keep her cool.

'Her name is Tsuna, 14 this coming October.' said Asari. 'She was cooking breakfast in her apartment when the black hole appeared out of nowhere and took her and the last she saw was the kitchen stove.'

'...what's an apartment?' Lampo asked him curiously. Asari asked Tsuna again.

'She said an apartment is a huge building of several rooms where many families who don't own houses live. Its like an Inn but a very complete, and bigger inn as each room is huge and spacious, many rooms inside one floor such as bedrooms, living room, kitchen and bathroom. And rent is monthly paid. As long as you can pay, you can keep living in there.'

'Wow, we don't have stuff like that here.' G whistled. 'Our inns here are the nightly stay kind only and you pay for each day the longer you stay.'

'That's something to think about.' said Giotto. 'Why that's a wonderful idea!' he marveled in amazement. 'This could solve housing problems since towns are getting a tad cramped.'

'But Giotto, I'm wondering...this girl is Japanese yet she's wearing clothing befitting of this country but a short-skirted one. If she's indeed Japanese, why is she not wearing a kimono?' Asari pointed out.

'Yes, I'm wondering about that too.' said Daemon, frowning as he looked at her state of dress. 'Her skirt length is indecent. For girls her age, skirts should be ankle length yet it shows her lower legs. She doesn't even wear a chemise and petticoats. If any lady in my social standing sees this, they'd scream. Her hair is OK though. Any women can wear their hair long and it should be at least, curled up or done in proper hairstyles. We better get her decent clothes. Explain to her.' so Giotto did...and they asked each other questions, gets answers...and she soon looked horrified. So did they.

Giotto and Asari shakily looked at their friends with priceless expressions on their faces.

'She's wondering what time she's in.' Asari choked. 'Because we asked her typical questions about Japan...and she said...' he gulped. 'She said Japan has developed so fast that social castes don't exist anymore, everyone has equal opportunities in education and employment, kimonos are only used in special occasions and festivals nowadays though traditionalists still wear them at home, and everything is so...so free!' he sputtered. 'Hardly any rules, everyone is practically free where she's from...and in this current era, none of her claims are true yet in her Japan, it is so!'

'Our young friend is from the future.' Giotto choked out to many disbeliefs. 'She was horrified when we told her this is the 19th century. Quite far from where she should be.'

'...Time-Travel? Oh, come on!' G scoffed disbelievingly. Tsuna looked annoyed and made an ice ball out of flames and hurled it at him. 'Whoa!' he dodged it and the ice ball hit the walls and shattered into tiny fragments of ice.

Giotto asked what she just did...and his and Asari's jaws dropped.

Soon, they all did when she showed she could use flames...and she's a Sky Flame too. Cue serious questions this time...

'OK? Can we left-out people be included in now?' Daemon asked them with an annoyed twitch. 'She can clearly use flames and she's a Sky just like Giotto.'

'OK, we need a nice room to sit down in, talk about what we,' Giotto glanced at Tsuna, '-talked about, get her a decent dress and a pair of shoes in that order and finally, she's OK with cooking for us.'

'I'll supervise.' Alaude grunted. 'They allow young children to cook where she's at?'

'I don't know much about European Rules despite my age but in my and Ugetsu's home country, mothers teach daughters how to cook and do household chores at a young age because sexual activity and marriage age is as soon as they hit menarche.' said Giotto with an uncomfortable wince as their European friends looked disgusted. 'Its why my mother ran off to Italy when I was a baby and she was **14**.' jaws dropped. Talk about young mother! 'She couldn't stand Japanese Rules anymore and how unfair it was to women and she's happy with Italian rules where women are more protected and cared for when she gambled her chances on some random foreign ship at the port to stow away on and she told me what it was like.'

'Ouch.' G winced. 'No wonder you never liked talking about Japan. What about you Ugetsu?' Asari shivered.

'Erm, let's talk about that some time and talk about Tsuna-chan first?' he said in utter discomfort. 'I'll tell you why I followed Giotto to Italy some other time, we have things to worry about.'

'In Tsuna's...time,' Giotto started. 'Indeed, things are modern, more free, opportunities are now gender equal and Japan adopted western ways of life because commoners are more than eager to in hopes of being free from the unfair rules the royals and nobility set up. They even took to wearing western clothes but since her era is not as conservative, for her, dressing like she does now is completely normal.' he explained. 'And Japan in her era loved anything cute and fashionable hence she wears western clothing that makes her look like a doll but very few girls can pull off that look. Well, you have to be either cute and beautiful to pull off the 'doll fashion'. Education is in Public Schools, starting as early as age 5, and up to age 15, school is mandatory but the thing she calls 'High School' and College' is optional. If you want to go to College which is apparently, educational training for a future career one hopes to have, you have to go through this High School first.' he chuckled before going serious.

'That, and apparently, Mafia have gotten very powerful in her era. Each famiglia has a couple thousand subordinate families,' the others gasped at this as Giotto continued on.

'Many weapons enough to level a small country, and men expertly trained in using their flames, combat and stealth skills. She is a descendant of 'a certain family' she wouldn't say about in fear of messing up the timeline and her existence. But she is chosen as Decimo for her sky flames and her bloodline and she is currently in training under an Arcobaleno.' now all of them looked at Tsuna.

'T-this young girl...Decimo?!' Alaude sputtered, wide-eyed and unable to believe it all. 'Impossible!'

'Still in training Alaude.' said Asari placatingly. 'She wouldn't take the post yet until she's either 20 or the Nono gets killed or dies in some circumstance and she would be hastily placed as head if that happens, and her father who is also a Mafioso is working to make sure she gets to enjoy her teenage carefree life as apparently, being leader is ten times more work than we do now. Some families commit crimes, some families ruled and protected their territories and some do pure business whether legal or not. And yes, Vendicare is still active.' everyone shuddered at the mere thought of it.

'So she's the Decimo of her famiglia eh? I wish to see how good she is in combat.' said Daemon thoughtfully. 'To be where we are, you cannot afford to be weak.'

'Daemon!' Giotto chided as Daemon 'showed' his thoughts to Tsuna through his illusions. She thought about it before nodding. 'Hey!'

'She agrees.' Daemon beamed happily. 'Now then, I shall see to purchasing clothes and shoes for her.' and he left.

'...is he serious on fighting her?' Lampo choked out as Giotto asked Tsuna about the matter...and the blonde man groaned.

'She's OK with it.' Giotto sighed. 'Apparently her mentor is a total brutal taskmaster, she's physically trained and taught how to fight and survive and lessons about the Mafia can come later as living is first priority and her first duty as successor.' he explained. 'Well, while Daemon is out, how about a meal? We haven't gotten lunch yet...' he mused while Alaude is staring at Tsuna...who is staring rather fondly at Lampo who looked a bit nervous with her staring.

'Ask her why she's staring at Lampo. She's been like that while you're talking.' said Alaude as his eyes glanced at the pair.

'She probably got some crush on him.' said G. 'If she's 14, he's 16. Their age isn't that far off!' he pointed out.

'Ehhhh?! No way!' Lampo choked out, wide-eyed while blushing. A beautiful Japanese girl is staring at him in interest and it got him jittery. Asari chuckled and asked Tsuna...and Asari and Giotto burst out laughing. 'Hey! What's so funny?!' Lampo cried in annoyance at getting laughed about.

'S-she said,' Giotto wheezed in laughter, 'You look like her _adoptive son_ Lambo who's about to turn six this year!' Lampo's jaws dropped while Alaude raised an eyebrow. 'Since you two look so alike she thinks Lambo will turn out just like you, except, he has black hair and green eyes!'

'She has an adoptive son?!' G gasped. 'I want details!' he said in interest. Asari talked to Tsuna for a bit...and from amusement, it went to...sympathy? NOW that got G, Alaude and Lampo wondering how the mood can shift so fast.

'...she said Lambo came to her apartment last year, ordered by his family to assassinate her tutor who happens to be the strongest hitman in her era.' said Giotto. 'They thought that being turned into an Arcobaleno rendered him weak so its an easy job...until her tutor showed he was no slouch despite his state. Because Tsuna disapproved of killing, he just tied the kid up. He did it for family approval and hoping his parents will finally pay attention to him since he was often forgotten, being the runt of the family and never knew what its like to have attentive parents his older siblings enjoyed and both she and her tutor thought how stupid his family could be for sending a young child against a veteran hitman and an Arcobaleno or it could be a cruel way of getting rid of him. Tsuna adopted him and offered to be his mother instead despite being only old enough to be a sister and asked her father to arrange the documents to save the boy from his family's either cruelty or stupidity.'

'Sounds a bit similar here, aren't we, Lampo?' G said wryly as Lampo deflated gloomily. 'Didn't you run away from home and ended up joining us for similar reasons?'

'Well...at least I wasn't adopted like some kid.' said Lampo gloomily. 'And I managed to succeed with you guys than in my own home and became a big name on my own.'


	10. Living in 19th Century

Living in 19th Century

Tsuna was glad she ended up with safe people as she got chucked to the past, and the only Japanese present said their Mist Guardian will buy her clothes, and in return, she offered to work for them until people from the other side figure a way to rescue her. She would do cleaning and cooking in her stay, but she needed a list of Italian ingredients to work on and improvise on her own as she doesn't know how to make Italian food. Only Japanese. As for broth, since Italy obviously have nothing for her to make dashi, she would settle with boiling bones and meat itself for soup stock to make dishes flavorful and as a sorceress, that's easy for her.

Not that they knew that...while some of the guys shopped for what she wanted in the pantry that would last them days...and asked for large piles of beef, pork and fish _bones_ from the market! Of course, since bones are useless to Italians, they'd get it for free in the markets and its useful for HER!

But since Alaude is supervising her to make sure she would not poison them, she had to be veeery discreet about her magic...and because of making the broth, they both had to be up at the wee hours of the morning just to get it done for lunch and dinner's use...and she's STILL boiling them in huge pots for several hours, while removing the scum that comes out through the boiling.

And lunch that day since she's still boiling bones?

She made them a delicious assembly of egg drop soup with chicken balls, minced pork and diced vegetable croquettes, Nikujaga, fried chicken, dumplings, stir-fried vegetables, soft-boiled eggs and fried rice coated in agar jelly deliberately put on hot freshly-cooked rice and mixed in it. Dessert? Why, a wonderful assortment of pastries, that got the late-teens men DROOLING.

Because Alaude watched, he confirmed she DID cook it all.

And the treatment difference was CLEAR as Lampo got more food servings and sweets than anyone else did and Lampo ate it all since she was practically mothering him with everyone snorting at his expense.

'Man that was truly delicious!' Giotto chirped as he and Asari helped Tsuna get the empty dishes away onto a pushcart. 'Thanks a lot Tsuna!'

'Heehee, don't mention it!' Tsuna chimed. 'I started learning when I was eight.'

'Eight?!'

'Yes, eight. We started on easy things such as baking cakes and pastries or make desserts...then as we get older, then we can cook real food.' Tsuna explained. 'Because where I'm from, both parents work thus the oldest child is taught how to be responsible in the house. Doesn't matter if you're boy or girl.' she said. 'Gender Equality, remember?' she said, making quote marks in the air. 'Women still can't do dangerous jobs though but in the mafia, that's kind of hypocritical isn't it?' she giggled.

'Indeed.' Asari sighed. 'Truly hypocritical but in this era, its mostly men who are mafia. If there ARE women, they're ladies who have nothing to do with mafia activity. If any, only one thing they can do: sponsor if they have money.' "And other less desirable things no 14 year old should know just yet." he thought wryly.

'Oh...'

'Well...are you still serious about fighting Daemon, Tsuna?' Giotto fretted worriedly.

'Its OK. Its just another test for me and to see how I fare against a real adult that's not out to get me.' Tsuna grinned. 'I usually fight Hibari-senpai on weekends after weekdays of physical work...he's two years older and in the same school as me. I usually call him oniisan though.'

'Eh? Doushite?'

'He used to protect me from bullies when I was a child.' Tsuna smiled sadly. 'He was there when no one was. Not even my own mother.' she said bitterly. 'Father at least has a valid excuse; he's protecting us in Italy making sure no one out to get me gets past Europe.'

'...why didn't your mother protect you?' Giotto frowned.

'She has a bad habit of believing what she only wanted to believe even if the truth is right in front of her.' Tsuna grunted. 'We had a big fight and I ran away from home in anger...I ran and ran and before I knew it, was found by a family of Shinto Priests and they adopted me so I know how to do Miko work...' that got them interested. 'Then last year, father got wind of what I did, searched Japan and found me in a small town close to Edo...and he went home to talk her to get two sides of the story as well as the neighbors, and then my own. He tried to convince me to come home since she promised she would change.'

'So did you and your mother make up?'

'No.' Tsuna sighed heavily. 'Cheetahs can't change spots can they? And I was traumatized as a child. I was horribly bullied in school, getting bruises from the worser bullies and she thought I became a tomboy who picks and starts fights. Her reality is what only matters to her and even the neighbors say its hard to deal with her so she doesn't have friends either among neighboring wives. Heck, even father took advantage of that mentality to hide his real job from her and he admitted that when he told me about this mafia thing!' she snorted. 'To me, a seven-years-old kid, the fact that I have nowhere to go for comfort, not even my own mother struck me hard. I was all alone until my foster family adopted me. I told my father in anger that if he wants me to become Decimo when Nono retires since that man hopes for me to be his heir as well, I get to live alone in an apartment far away from our old house and I'll never go home ever again nor even look at her.' she grunted. 'And when I adopted Lambo, I swore to be a better mother than anyone so no children would grieve that they're unable to go to their mothers for comfort and I learned how from my foster sister. I would start with Lambo so that one day, he will become a good father to his own children as he knows what its like to live under a loving parent and he would give that same love someday.'

'Tsuna-chan...' Asari frowned sadly. Its sad to hear tales like this, especially as it never happened to him or most of the guys.

'And is this Nono your grandfather?' Giotto asked her while wincing at her tale.

'Nope. He's also a member of the bloodline I'm talking about and a really super-distant relative since he's mostly Italian and I'm quarter-Japanese since my father has some Italian blood in him but he's half.' said Tsuna. 'This man has three legal sons and one adoptive son. Because our famiglia is known as the most powerful in my era and got the best education and training money can buy, you can say they got too arrogant and overconfident, and the bad qualities that came with a highly-privileged upbringing.' she told them as she sat on the chairs with them. 'That got them many enemies in turn. One got murdered in a drunken brawl in a party. The second one was kidnapped and when an Aquarium attraction opened in Italy, he was found in the water with tropical fish, chained to weights and drowned to death. The last guy...who knows what the killers did with him because by the time they found him, he was nothing more than bones.' the Japanese men shuddered at the thought. 'His identity confirmed through medical investigative advances in my time. The adoptive son cannot inherit as per famiglia rules, so he's out. Father is already working as Nono's External Advisor, he could not juggle two jobs or he'll die from stress overload than getting killed...so that leaves me, the last eligible heir.'

'I see...so that's how it is.' Giotto sighed. 'So women can rule Mafia Famiglias in your time eh?'

'Hai. According to history lessons from my tutor, the Giglio Nero Famiglia has a tradition of having females as heads and they're so good at the job that women started to want to aim for big positions in the mafia too. But getting respect is real rough that other than the Donnas of that family, there's only one other female Donna...Nono's mother, the Ottavo. And soon, me, the Decimo.' Tsuna mused. 'Assuming I live long that is.' she said wryly.

'So do you have Guardians?'

'Well officially, one. The other two are in debate since I worry for them.' said Tsuna gloomily. 'Unlike Hayato-kun who was from a prominent famiglia so it's OK as he knew what to expect, Yamamoto-kun and Oniisan are just civilians even though they're close to me. I wanted to wait a bit longer before telling them about the mafia and offering them a place. Because once you're in...backing out will take a miracle or your way out would be in a body bag as a cold corpse. Yamamoto-kun was my first friend and Oniisan who protected me...I couldn't nor wanted to bring them to that kind of life.' she sighed. 'As a just incase, I told them bits and pieces. I told them that my father's job is dangerous and getting close to me is dangerous.'

'And?' Giotto smiled. Tsuna gave him a weak smile.

'Oniisan is uh...a fighting nutcase. He LOVES to fight.' she said weakly. 'If I told him I'm in the mafia and I want him to join, he'll say yes in a heartbeat just to fight more and give up normal life forever at the drop of a hat so I'm holding back.' the two men sweatdropped. 'As for Yamamoto-kun, he started training just so I wouldn't worry for him too much when the worst comes...that's what he told me and he still wanted to be my friend because I was also his first real friend even though he was popular in school. I had no idea what to feel about that.'

'Oh my...then doesn't that mean you should be honest with him if he's willing to go that far, Tsuna-chan?' Asari advised.

'I worry about his father more should Yamamoto-kun really decide to stick with me.' said Tsuna wryly. 'He's a sushi chef! An ordinary civilian!' "Nevermind his swordsmanship background..."

xxx

Giotto had practically written down what they learned about their guest, and while she was cleaning, starting on the top floors where the Boss and Guardians took up room, he made the other boys read it and G has the job of giving said paper to Knuckle when the man comes home from negotiations just so he would not be surprised by the female guest in the mansion. The paper was all about what they talked about when everybody else left after lunch, and the others learned a lot about Tsuna's background...and she shared with them what she knew about flames. Modern Day Developments, that is!

Giotto never knew what his Sky Flames could TRULY do. Heck, he didn't know that he could assimilate and synchronize other flames to boost his own power or to recover from exhaustion. He also did NOT know about the Dying Will Modes, and that, he could actually turn his own flames into negative energy to make Ice that only Dying Will Flames can melt! Heck, he can even fly in it! Actually, ANYONE with flames can fly. Just that, the Sky Flames have the best propulsion, speed, and directional turning ability. But she never told Giotto that Sky Flames also have the power to seal memories...if done right. Had he known of the knowledge beforehand, this will affect her existence in the future so she never said anything about it. That, and she'll be doomed a no-good forever and never meet her kind foster family or learn magic.

G thought that his flames, other than color, was BORING until he got wind that it, unlike normal fire, can disintegrate anything and that included other flames except Rain, the only flame that can defend against it or if a Sky User absorbs flame in question before it starts its Disintegration ability.

Asari who originally found his blue flames beautiful and water-like, was horrified what his own could REALLY do. Sure, negating and tranquilizing makes good defense, but negating and tranquilizing has more meanings than they realized to the point that it can 'tranquilize' the functioning of living things, instantly killing them if they have the misfortune of being encased in Rain Flames.

Alaude was astonished that his flame's ability was Propagation. It can propagate anything he wished and they DO MEAN ANYTHING...including Training Results and one's physical abilities and senses. One just HAS to use imagination on what they wanted to Propagate, but beware...when it came to propagating physical abilities and senses, there's NO taking it back. You can never be normal ever again unlike a Sun Flame User so caution is extremely advised.

Lampo's flames are closer to lightning and electricity in nature and its ability was Hardening, a skill suited for defense. For offensive means, why, Tsuna learned through science the many, many ways to use Lightning to teach to her son when he grows older but for now, Lampo, being a teenager, is old enough to handle the responsibility.

For Knuckle who has YET to come home, they learned that its extremely difficult to project Sun Flames until discovery that it was meant for support with its Activation Ability. It can momentarily boost one's physical abilities for a few seconds, giving brief superhuman strength, speed and agility but unlike Cloud, senses cannot be boosted/enhanced and unlike Cloud, physical benefits are not permanent. It also heals injuries but it has it limits. Medical Knowledge is needed for the bones part. Resetting bone knowledge is needed before healing if there are ever fractures lest it heals wrong, causing more problems. Its also safe to study the human body as well. If poisoned, antidote is needed or else no matter how much Sun Flames are used, as long as poison is in, it'll still damage the body. Finally, too much use of Sun Flames beyond one's limits will cause cellular destruction, a.k.a a slow death. This was why Sun Flames Users in Tsuna's era are combat medics and groups never leave home without one!

Finally, Daemon's Mist Flames. Its ability is Construction. Making 'items'-usually weapons- out of Mist Flames is possible but a stronger opponent can easily shatter it and its strength and durability lies in the strong will of the creator. But its main power lies in Illusions, making it 'real'. So real that if you are convinced its real for a second, you WILL get hurt or even DIE as Illusions control one's five senses and perception of reality. With Mist Flames making psychic illusions real, the body will thus respond psychosomatically(she had to explain what that means) one's only defense is by NOT believing the illusions without a shred of doubt and fear and danger will pass by harmlessly.

Tsuna isn't seen for noon onwards since lunch as she cleans, aiming to start from top to bottom so the men can be comfortable in bedrooms after without worries and move in typical bedroom furniture. As for baths, since the bathroom isn't functional yet bar the Chamber Pots. Tsuna was HORRIFIED at what toilets were like in this era. Even for aristocrats! Since the mansion is freshly constructed, there wasn't plans for a bathroom and toilets yet so until then, everyone has to put up with Chamber Pots, and taking baths in the nearby river.

This was to Daemon's and Lampo's horror, men who grew up aristocrats and used to the luxury of a flushing toilet. A technology from further west Europe. They were told by everybody that they had to deal with it until their bathroom is constructed. Tsuna was UNCOMFORTABLE with the chamber pot thing too...but swallowed the facts.

So she had informed them that before cooking dinner, she would be bathing by the river since she got sticky from cleaning all bedrooms.

When the men did a spot check, her work was evident. They rubbed fingers on the walls and floor, not a dust speck in sight! Even the ceiling when Giotto checked when G let him stand on his shoulders. Not only that, hallways and stairs of the 3rd floors too. Before she went to go get bathing permission, she had forbidden going upstairs due to the dirt in their shoes making footprints on a damp, still-drying floor, so they went up barefoot.

'Wow, looks like we can easily settle in our rooms soon.' Lampo marveled. 'If only housekeepers are as efficient as this, we wouldn't worry much about cleaning standards!'

'But how could she do this much all by herself? No maid can do this level of cleaning in just four hours without help.' Alaude remarked with a frown.

'That IS curious.' said Giotto. 'Well, she said she'll be by the river bathing so asking her can wait a little.' he said. 'She'd no doubt want to rest.'

Well, not everyone left her to her privacy.

Daemon went invisible to watch her as its in his nature to suspect anything until proven innocent, a trait he shared with Alaude who used to work for French Law until the guy got fed up with his corrupt superiors, traveled north, still corruption he got fed up with the 'law' and sought his own justice by joining under Giotto's banner. But unlike him, Alaude would never resort to this like he does. She's beautiful and shapely for a girl her age but her waistline was what would horrify aristocrat women who laced their corsets so tight for a beautiful, tiny waist but her shape was because of muscle. She's trim and toned and no sign of fat at all but her muscles were sculpted in a way that didn't destroy her beauty as a woman of course(picture kunoichi bodies). She also didn't have hair down there and he figured women in her era get rid of it. He found it beautiful and clean, and more...erotic. He wondered how can he get his young adorable wife to do the same though so he plans on arranging things...for a little influencing and easy on the nighttime cuddling on his part. And she's foreign so it helps.

Hanging on a tree branch in a tree closest to her, was a casual dress he bought for her and matching shoes. But what he could NOT comprehend, was she was FLAT before! She didn't have much when she came out of that black hole yet and now, she's practically a young woman. After waiting, she clearly used her flames to dry herself, and used a strange sleeveless top that barely covered her upper body but was responsible for flattening her breasts. Then what looks like 'white, leg-less stretchy trousers' which she wore on her bottom! He was _shocked_.

* * *

><p><em>A:N- In the 19th century, women typically wore heavy petticoats to keep the cold breezes from blowing up their skirts because they usually didn't wear any underwear underneath. Until the mid-1800s, it was considered improper for a woman to wear anything in between her legs. This is why women rode sidesaddle and why pants were considered a male-only garment. This author thinks the men-dominated world of that era is just a bunch of perverts who twist the world to their liking thru so-called rules when she read this article upon researching what 19th century is like (O.O)<em>

* * *

><p>Then after putting underwear on, she put on her white tights, and Daemon found it strangely attractive, now visioning his wife in the girl's place wearing panties and tights. Just, without the hideous thing that hid her breasts, that is!<p>

Finally, petticoats came next, then the dress he bought for her and then, shoes. She finally looks decent. She then created an ice comb and used it to comb her long hair. She practiced walking around in the petticoats as she isn't used to it. Her odd appearance when she appeared before was shocking as it is...women in her era wear leg-less trousers and no petticoats! Shaking his head, he was kind of glad he and his friends found her first. Given powers they possess, they would be more understanding of her circumstance. Had it been anyone else...the poor girl would endure severe, harsh scolding for something that's normal to her all her life and given strict standards, the girl would be severely upset and lash out and she's a flame user!

Since she has no weapon in her person, he and Alaude will still watch out. Since she can make ice, she can have weapons anytime and before that, she can still burn you to death anyway.

xxx

The kitchen...

He heard from Alaude that she boils animal bones for broth and make food taste better. It was the reason why she requested for bones when she asked everyone bar Alaude to do shopping so she could cook dishes she at least knew as she has no idea what 19th century Italian cuisine is like. Well, nobody's complaining! This time, they BOTH watched her cook. She's skilled with knives, that's for sure.

She even presents food in an aesthetically pleasing eye.

Yep, his wife can definitely learn from her.


	11. Getting to know you

Getting to know you

Tsuna spent a week cleaning the mansion, in order for furniture to FINALLY be able to be moved in, other than bedroom staples when she cleaned the top floors. She said that fighting Daemon can wait when her job is done so the moving can be completed.

She also met Knuckle, the final member of...Giotto's band of Vigilantes, Vongola(this was to her inner shock) on the second day of her stay there. Knuckle was also shocked about their new guest and upon learning what the nature of their powers are, the young priest got excited and started studying. When she asked what got him excited, she was told why. Knuckle was originally a famous Boxer under his stage name. But one day, in an official match, he accidentally killed his opponent because of his own strength. He was horrified. So horrified that he quit boxing and turned to priesthood in a bid to repent for the accidental murder he committed and took full responsibility but he never fully recovered from shock so the police found it hard to arrest him as he was really sorry for the accident and let him off since he also took priesthood seriously. He began hating his strength and the cause of it. His flames when five of them learned about its existence from a woman named Sepira, the lady who gave them the Vongola Rings and thus, access to the power to help them in their goals. They spent a lot of time studying what they could do since until Tsuna, the lady had a vague way of explaining that really didn't give them answers and at the time, Daemon wasn't even a member yet so he never met Sepira and just got the ring from Giotto himself a year later when his fiancée-at-the-time and a fan of theirs Lady Elena introduced Daemon to Giotto.

He said she made Knuckle happy when the power he hated could in fact, be used for good and as another way to repent for that one murder that still haunts him to this day and he fights and avoids killing at the same time...he just cripples. The only ones who DOES kill is G who can't help it due to his power, Alaude who hated criminals and the corrupt with a passion(and to protect people, he thinks these types he hated are most useful DEAD), and Daemon because his aristocrat family has a military background thus its normal for him.

Tsuna was glad she was able to make Primo Sereno happy because living a life of guilt for one's whole life isn't exactly what one would call happy living isn't it?

A week later, the house is fully clean inside, that furniture can now be purchased, and she helped with the interior decorating too, helping in matching curtains and furniture colors in some rooms while they are free to decorate their bedrooms any way they wanted.

Day seven, the awaited day came.

At the school grounds...

'This is it.' said Giotto with a shiver. 'Oy Daemon, are you still serious about this?!' he called out as facing him, was Tsuna who dressed in men's clothing just for the occasion and the fight is an extremely private affair as women wearing men's clothes, is a big no-no. 'I'm still having doubts about this fight!'

'I'm perfectly serious.' Daemon smirked. 'She is a mafia donna and future head of the family. Therefore she cannot afford to be weak. If the boss is weak, it affects the family isn't it?' he conjured a staff. 'This power is pretty handy. I can both carry and not carry a weapon anytime I want, so I want to thank you for your knowledge, Miss Tsuna.' Tsuna looked to Giotto who translated in a deadpan voice before she herself spoke, and Asari translated for Daemon.

'She said she cannot afford to be weak anyway since her world's mafia is far crueler, dangerous and ruthless, and she has a lot of things she wanted to protect even at the cost of her own death.' said the Japanese noble with a grimace and Tsuna's expression is clearly full of resolve and her words made the first generation shudder. 'That, and she needed power to be respected by subordinates she will inherit from Nono anyway. Men in her time are still gender-prejudiced somewhat so she still needed power. She was no idealist, she's a realist and fully aware how the world works and how cruel men can be to those they can exploit.'

'I see...then, let's begin.' the two lunged at each other, sparring with their weapons in all-out combat with Tsuna using a beautiful ice saber she created and Daemon, his staff. And to all of their amazements, Tsuna could keep up with him and on par with him in combat, and is not above using both her flexible body if her weapon is busy blocking her opponent's weapon, or creating a rain of sharp snowflakes as projectiles. She also takes advantage of the fact that they're NOT used to seeing women kick, and she kicks high much to their embarrassments and utter discomfort...although they learned different ways to punch and kick as well.

Given Tsuna's History Lessons from Reborn, these men are incredibly strong. But as these guys are still in their late teens and having just established Vongola, Their current selves are as strong as her and her friends. Maybe in years from now, history may become reality by the time she's long gone from this time. But right now...yep. This was an advantage she could use for herself, and fought with the older boy...and eventually, defeated him to their shock.

'O-oh wow...' Lampo choked. 'Tsuna beat him...'

'I can't believe it...Daemon's the best at fencing among aristocrats in his generation! And she beat him?' Giotto swallowed his disbelief. G whistled, impressed. Alaude raised an eyebrow. Knuckle was stunned. Asari was wondering if he was seeing things.

'It looks like I have much room for improvement.' said Daemon as Tsuna offered him her hand. 'I got complacent due to my reputation...and I'm not used to the fact that ladies can kick...and that, is a social faux pas as ladies must never spread their legs...not that you'd know that because your time and my time works differently.' Giotto translated and the girl looked sheepish.

'She said she wouldn't know that as schools really don't discuss the undesirable parts of ancient history.' said Giotto wryly. 'Moreover Japanese schools only discuss Japanese history, not European.'

'Now she does.' said Lampo, still blushing. 'I didn't know she could kick and bend that way!'

'Now we know.' said Alaude sarcastically.

xxx

After the fight, they got to talk more in the living room after Tsuna got changing into a dress because the next batch of movers are coming around late afternoon for more furniture and the bathroom construction is not done yet it was lucky no men came out to see Tsuna in men's clothes.

They got to know each other through translation...and to Tsuna's delight, Alaude can speak English other than French and Italian. It means she can talk to him too and she could speak English fluently but still with accent. And mafia standards in the future as businesses are conducted worldwide? Know as many languages as you can. And despite her views of the world in regards to human nature, combat and mafia, she is still innocent and naïve in some topics(it baffled them)...and Asari noted she speaks Japanese very formally, the kind nobility use. When asked on it, she said everyone has various ways of speaking Japanese. Formally, Casually and Rudely. A lot of people use casual and rude way while those with proper upbringing befitting of certain family standards speak formally and her foster family were a family of priests and priestesses, so formal speaking came with it.

Knuckle got curious about her religion and how was it different from Christianity, his religion and talks began. While Christianity follows the walk of God and Jesus Christ, Shintoism focused on ritual practices to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present-day Japan and its ancient past, beliefs about various gods, spirits and demons, and they emphasize on purity of spirit and being in order to be able to connect with the Kami as per beliefs of the religion. Her foster family still practices that ancient tradition so she definitely knew how to be a proper priestess.

Tsuna also relished in the opportunity that she got to know the Primo Generation when they were young, before Primo Vongola became the legends they are in her time. Giotto and G are 19, Lampo 16, Daemon who recently married is just 18, Knuckle was 20 and Alaude was the oldest: 22. Vongola started with Cozart Simon's suggestion to his childhood friend, Giotto but they split up as Cozart wishes to start his own famiglia for his and Giotto's to join someday as allied families so he too, is building his own power base while Giotto and G worked on it together. And all three were 13 at the time, working as vigilantes for the people. Then for a year, Giotto and G went to Japan together against Giotto's mother's wishes as she has hard feelings about their country but Giotto wanted to see it with his own eyes.

This led them both to meet and rescue Asari from older noblemen who wanted to 'get to know him better'. Asari is a beautiful boy and in Japan, beauty is appreciated no matter the gender. As long as you're beautiful, you're fair game! Asari is also the youngest among five brothers and inherited his mother's beauty the most and only having his father's eyes and hair. And unlike his brothers who took to martial arts, he took to music more than the sword. It was why he was easy prey. G motivated him to fight back and learn swordsmanship too and with encouraging from Giotto, Asari learned how to wield a sword on his own and trained on his own methods as he found physical training to be too brutal to the hands as his brothers have scars and thick callouses on the hands. In turn, Giotto learned from Asari why his own mother hated her home country enough to flee to Italy for it.

When their year of visit ended, Asari was sad to see them go...and he honed his skill that with his own style, he emphasized more on skill, speed, agility and gracefulness with power through sharp impacts that he was able to defeat his more powerful brothers, and he was a prodigy at the blade. But he grew to miss his Italian friends and soon, sold his instruments for four swords, and the rest of his money was used to travel to Italy, completely forsaking his comfortable life as a noble...and wound up rescuing Giotto and G in a bad pinch. Vongola became three members.

Next to join was Knuckle, a young priest-in-training who heard of their exploits. Their reputation was so infamous that it inspired many fans from the adoring public that he got interested in them. He supported them by promoting them until he eventually, traveled with them too.

On the borders of Italy, they met Alaude who was utterly and violently crushing his foes mercilessly. At the time, he was an angry man angry at the world. When Giotto managed to pacify him, they learned that he has a passion for justice and protecting the weak. He joined and soon, headed an intelligence agency somewhere in France and loyal to his country. He was a genius who used his brains for information to end conflicts sooner only to learn that his superiors exploited his information for personal gain, not for the people. Disgusted and disheartened, he went to England. Its a small country ruled by monarchy, surely he can see changes there? However, the reality of England is ruled by the Underworld and Nobility and 'justice' there only served to make them look good. If two countries are like this, what more about the rest of the world?

Alaude became his own vigilante, using his investigative abilities to root out corruption and put them down like rabid dogs and destroy what they created to harm the people to ruin as he traveled. It was his own way to protect the people and he didn't care what anyone thought of him. His methods were destructive and bloody as his anger at the world fuelled his motivations. Giotto invited him to join Vongola. At first, he refused, skeptical of three kids younger than him, one of whom an Asian foreigner and a priest...whom he recognized and Knuckle got wind he was more famous than he realized. When he was being unreasonable, Giotto challenged him to a fight. His anger against Giotto's calm, and together their resolves for their own justice. Because Alaude's mind was clouded with anger, Giotto won as he could think better with a calm mind...and after pacifying the angry, violent man, Alaude saw one last hope in him and joined.

Next was Lampo whom they met in northern Italy in a bar, drinking away his sorrows...at a young age! But the barman didn't care who his customers are as long as they can pay...and a commoner can't exactly turn down a nobleman even if they're young, fearing the noble's wrath. That didn't go well with Alaude and it took all of them to restrain him. Giotto talked to the boy known as Lampo who took to drinking due to an unhappy home life. No matter what he tried, his parents never acknowledged him, favoring his more accomplished brother who was the better son, while his sister got into a favorable marriage arrangement so nobody expected anything of him. He was all alone and didn't exactly have friends. Giotto's heart went out for Lampo and offered him a place in Vongola. A place where Lampo is welcome...although a warning came with it...and because Lampo is a scaredy-cat coward, he contributed instead through supportive means. He was SCARED of violence! But at least he was no longer alone and appreciated for his abilities to support his friends. Through their journey, they met a mysterious lady named Sepira who gave them seven special rings. One ring per man...and told them about the Tri-Ni-Set, and the ability of the aptly-named Vongola Rings. As soon as they wear it, their 'hours' are 'engraved' from that moment on...and gave them more power for their goals.

Then months before Tsuna came, Lady Elena, Daemon's Fiancee introduced her fiancée to them weeks before they officially married. They were both aristocrats who both shared the same feeling of resentment for other aristocrats who had no social standing for the public, and they both wished to change this as they both believed that no matter position in society was, highly capable people should be the backbone of society. When the last ring in Giotto's care responded to Daemon, he gave him the ring.

Now that the whole house is clean, all she has to worry about for now, would be the laundry and cooking. Other than that, why she has a lot of free time!

And so...

'So Tsuna, you know more about our enemies than we do at the moment.' said Giotto as he talked to her in private. 'We need a better idea and grasp for our ideals.' he asked her in private at the office one day.

'Well...if I tell you, you'll have to be a realist, Giotto-san.' said Tsuna. 'Because you need power and violence to protect.'

'V-violence?!' Giotto gasped out, wide-eyed.

'What, you punch and kick your opponents, right? That's violence you know.' Tsuna said wryly. 'Not only that, supporters too. And Vongola will soon be popular that more and more people will join under your banner because the law is either useless or unreliable or they can't turn to the government or police if the ones in control are the people Alaude-san will kill.' she said. 'Soon, you'll have an organized military force that follows your ideals. Some will be idealists, some will be realists like myself. Bloodshed will be normal. As much as I hate to say this, some people must die for some people to live...and sacrifices must be made. Kill a few to save a town. Kill a hundred to save a country and put in those who desire the good welfare of people in rightful positions so people can live in peace and enjoy a prosperous, righteous life, and promote good human rights for both men, women and children. For that, I accepted long ago that someday, my hands will be bloodied just to build such a world. As long as the good, righteous people hold important government, law and police positions, the people we protect will be happy...and the means justify the ends.' Giotto grimaced at her view. It was a reality he didn't want to accept because he refuses to kill. Just what kind of place is the future for a girl younger than he to have such morbid views?

'As for your...enemies...you already know who they are. Alaude-san joined you to get rid of them, and Vongola fights them on a daily basis after all...but soon, your enemies will be Mafia Famiglias. By the time you establish Vongola as a Vigilante Famiglia, its ideal for you to have allies in different places, in order for Vongola to cover several grounds at once...and my advice will be to visit Lady Sepira of the Giglio Nero Family. Right now, she is one you can turn to for advice...and the rest is up to you.'

'Lady Sepira...the lady who gave us these rings?' Giotto mused as Giotto looked at his Vongola Ring.

'Hai. She has an extremely strong power to foretell the future. In my era, we call it Precognition. A psychic power to see the future...and parallel future worlds that are caused by different decisions made in the present so that lady sees a lot. If you play your cards right, she will help you but I bet she'll help only once.' Tsuna giggled. 'Because in the end, advice is advice. You must do what she recommended yourself.'

'So where do I find her?'

'In my future, the Giglio Nero resided in an island in western Italy aptly named Isola del Giglio. It can be accessible by riding a ship from Porto Ercole in the west. Its close by and a pretty tiny island too. Go to Tuscania and keep going west till you get to that port town. Well, in the future that's where the family is but in this era, I don't know if she established base there yet so its a gamble.' Tsuna grinned...and at her feet, a golden magic circle appeared and she unleashed a strong power to Giotto's surprise and she created a Sketelon Key.

'You...' Giotto gasped, wide-eyed as she gave him the key. The unsaid question was 'What are you?' that would obviously, go unanswered.

'Hold one key close to your ring when I'm gone.' said Tsuna. 'Then should you find yourself trapped or locked away...just ignite the flames on the ring and inject in any door and you're free. It'll be of great help for you and for future bosses you'll acknowledge through the Sky Ring.'

'Why just me? What about the other rings?' Giotto fretted.

'I only have enough power for one ring.' said Tsuna. 'So the rest is up to you.'

She said that with a charmingly sweet smile while using magic to scramble Giotto's Hyper Intuition for a few seconds so he wouldn't know she's lying.

xxx

On a free day when she 'cheats' on cleaning with magic after her 'cleaning show' on her first week of arrival, she focused on the bare gardens. When someone is going out, she would ask Giotto or Asari to give whoever a list of flower seeds she wants bought to plant in the grounds. Flower bushes and shrubs, and...thorny things.

And so, since flower seeds are very cheap, cheaper than full-grown plants, she got plenty.

But of course, the men wondered how she got the lawn to spring up on bare soil, and seedlings of the plants she planted to sprout in a short time when it usually takes WEEKS to have sproutlings of any plant...unless its the kind that quickly grows.

She has a way out and its possible.

'Oh, I forgot to tell you guys...before there's Dying Will Flames, they have a primitive neutral form called Wave Energy. Its our life force that turns into Flames if lit up with our resolve.' said Tsuna. 'Wave Energy is pretty neutral in nature so its easy to grow plants quicker with it. If its drought season, you can still care for plants this way although it can be more tiring than normal farm or gardening work as it is.' she explained. 'It's second nature to me so I tend to forget some details unless I'm reminded...' she apologized sheepishly. 'Why don't you try? Remember, too much, you're out for a day and you guys have a lot of work since you're new in this flame business!'

So they did...thus, experimenting caused the garden to spring to life sooner than scheduled, causing the grounds to be colorfully carpeted with flowers and short lawn grass.

Days later...a carriage arrived in the mansion.

It was one reason Daemon asked her to clean the mansion and no dust bunny behind as he wanted everything to be perfect, and cook her best meals.

'Who's THAT?' Tsuna croaked out to Alaude who's her companion if Giotto and Asari are unavailable.

'That's his wife, Lady Elena, daughter of Duke and Duchess Castiglione.' said Alaude, introducing the woman as they watched Daemon personally greet the beautiful lady and go lovey-dovey in public. 'Since they were such a good match when they were younger, their families arranged them both. And that lady is why Daemon's with us.' he said. 'As for his own family standing, his is a high ranking Marquis Family that served in the military for generations so the Duke approved even more. Its rare to have matches wherein the betroths truly love each other.'

'Wow...she's around Lampo's age isn't she?' Tsuna whistled. 'So 19th Century marriage age is 16 for ladies?'

'Yes. That's the rule for nobility in any European country so engagements happen as early as six for them to get used to each other. I don't know about other continents. All I know is what Giotto told me about Japan in regards to Asia.' the blonde man shrugged.

'Since he has work and Ugetsu-san is out on a job with G-san, can you tell me about 19th Century Japan Giotto-san told you about...?' Tsuna asked him hopefully. 'Hopefully Ugetsu-san said stuff about Japanese Nobility too...you don't really put bad stuff in history books after all. You'd want to look good in history long after you're dead after all.' she snorted before her eyes fell...on Elena's too tiny waist. 'Eek! I-is that tiny waist _normal_?!' she choked out in horror as she could _clearly see where the ribs are_!

'Well...that's standard of beauty for nobility and wealthy. Commoners can't afford such luxury for women so they don't have curvaceous waists.' said Alaude. Their young guest is clearly horrified at what's normal for women in their era. 'Don't western women in the future wear corsets?'

'We don't because of health hazards it poses to abdominal internal organs!' Tsuna choked out. 'Because bodies under such tight restrictions can't freely breathe, only able to breathe with the top part of the lungs, the lower half of the lungs tend to fill with mucus. Symptoms of this include a slight but persistent cough, as well as heavy breathing, causing a heaving appearance of the bosom. Moreover it weakens the abdomen so it'll really be rough on women who are waist-small for so long and then blowing up at pregnancy. They'll experience far worser pregnancy and birthing pains due to weak internal organs due to being bound for so long. If we wanted small waists, we just physically train hard or watch out our food portions and diet! Healthy eating and exercise for a small waist is healthier than tight-lacing!' Alaude frowned at the scenarios that flashed in his mind as Tsuna explained the cons of tight-lacing.

'Is that so? I'll see what I can do. You know more about advanced future health care so it'll be hard to get believers...'

xxx

The Art Room...this was a room Asari requested for himself as its both a music room and a visual arts room filled with music and art stuff. Asari does the music, poetry and calligraphy, G carves, Daemon paints, and Giotto favors making blueprint plans and it was him who designed their mansion. Inside and outside. Their works are just around. She took some sheets of paper and began writing songs to leave behind her work. Proof that she exists at least.

This was against the rules but she got close to some of the guardians, she really didn't want to be forgotten by them. So she left behind cooking tips and some recipes so the boys can manage when she's gone. The reason Giotto is not hiring servants yet was because of her. People here other than Vongola cannot see she who doesn't exist in this time. She wrote everything in English for Alaude to pass on in Italian. Writing in Japanese takes too much time!

In the meantime...Alaude got Daemon to talk to him in private for at least a few minutes.

'What's this about, Alaude?' Daemon asked Alaude.

'Tsuna saw your wife...and she voiced her concerns about too-tight corsets.' said Alaude. 'She was rather horrified when she saw what's normal to us; tiny waists by tight-lacing.'

'Women in her era don't wear corsets huh?' Daemon would know beforehand, having peeped on her once.

'Yes due to...health concerns, particularly the internal organs in abdominal areas.' said Alaude. 'Knowing the two of you are married and Elena's body accustomed to such constriction for so long, she worries how her insides will fare if she ever gets pregnant. It'll be twice as painful compared to women who don't wear corsets all their lives.' he said to Daemon's disbelief. 'And with weakened internal organs...it might be easier to miscarry too. Has she been having persistent coughing lately?'

'Well sometimes...' now Daemon worried at the blonde man's frown. 'What?'

'...advanced medical research proves true.' the blonde sighed. 'Reasons stated are why women in Tsuna's era don't wear corsets anymore. If you ever plan on having a baby, at least lay off the corsets to let her body rest for a year or two and live a healthy diet, as well as seeing Knuckle for his healing before trying for a child if she feels abdominal pains.' he advised. 'Seeing Elena's waistline really scared our guest and told me what I told you.'

'Really now huh...?' Daemon frowned. 'It looks like we'll have to do baby-planning sooner than I thought...' he mused thoughtfully. 'The problem is the ladies.' he said. 'Its not easy to let go of this trend because of the beauty it enhances for them in shape. Moreover I worry about her body if its without a corset for too long since aristocrat women start when they're 12 on this thing.'

'That's what Knuckle is for.'

xxx

The kitchen...

Since Daemon left her for 'a men's chat' with Alaude, Elena explored the new Vongola Mansion, headquarters of Vongola, a band of men she admired for giving righteous justice for the people when law and government itself wouldn't. She headed here because she could smell something really good and dinner isn't too far off now, a couple hours before sundown. Knowing her husband's tastes, he must have hired a splendid chef because this smells really good!

The chef in question?

A young foreign beautiful girl with really long hair! She was boiling four gigantic pots which were the sources of the smell, but she is working on...bread and pastries first, judging by the baking paraphernalia and fruit she was using. 'Hello there.' Elena greeted, wondering if she knows Italian.

'Konnichiwa, Elena-ojousama.' OK, she can't speak, as the younger girl courtsied before her. 'Watakushi wa mansion no kaseifu, Tsuna desu.'

'Er I'm not sure what you said,' Elena said, doing a baffled double-take. 'But will dinner be ready soon?' Tsuna looked confused that Elena had to do miming and sign language to get across and made sure to memorize what the girl said before asking Giotto or Asari what she said.

Upon finding one of them, Asari translated for her.

'Oh, so that's what she said...is she studying Italian at least? Having a language issue must be rough on you boys!' Elena exclaimed.

'Indeed...the only ones she could talk to is Giotto and I, and Alaude.' said Asari sheepishly. 'She knows our native tongue and English, England's language and Alaude's there some years back before joining us. She's our housekeeper and cook.'

'But...just one?' Elena blinked. 'And she's doing this mansion?' she swore incredulously as she can't imagine a frail-looking girl doing everything all by herself.

'Yes...she's here because she got separated from her traveling family.' said Asari. 'We took her in and she promised she would work for us until we get word about her family. As for the servants issue, well, Giotto's too busy establishing necessary things to make our organization functional so we're really lucky.' he chuckled. 'None of us can cook, but we can certainly clean! Ahaha!'

Elena wondered now how they manage...


	12. Impending Feeling and Goodbye

Impending Feeling and Goodbye

Elena would be staying over for a good year...if only to get away from men who just wouldn't see she's already a married woman simply because her husband is at Vongola HQ most of the time doing work, and sought refuge. She complained about it to Daemon during dinner too.

The annoyed and offended husband was thus off to deliver nightmares and scar off his wife's hounds for life and even left a note about it, making all of Vongola almost feel sorry for the men. Well, they crossed a married woman whose husband is an illusionist who can make his illusions REAL, how dumb can they be?

Tsuna heartlessly pointed that out, that got Giotto and Asari clutching their sides in laughter and Alaude was smiling...and his shoulders shaking in silent laughter. The other men and other girl was at a loss in what was so funny.

xxx

Art Room...

'That's a thick book.' Alaude remarked as he saw Tsuna writing down cooking recipes she was compiling into a book. He was here to do his own relaxing thing when he saw her, her back facing him, sitting on the couch writing recipes down. In English.

'Yes, well...its for when I'm finally rescued and you guys can still enjoy my cooking.' Tsuna said with a beaming smile. 'Its because of me Giotto can't hire servants yet after all. Is it OK for Elena-san to know of me though?'

'Well, her case can't be helped.' said Alaude. 'I investigated through my contacts about her claims of harassment by persistent suitors through my network and she wasn't kidding. Needless to say I got reports that about 15 men are having nightmares and fear paranoia in two weeks now.' Tsuna really pitied the idiots.

'By now they should learn not to harass a woman whose husband is practically nightmare incarnate. Then again very few people knows about the existence of flames yet that in this era people will think its magic or something...'

'I think a lot of people will go insane soon. Is there advanced facilities for the insane in the future?'

'Its called Mental Hospital, run by psychiatrists, mind and mental specialists who have a complete understanding of the brain, mind and mental health, as well as hundreds of extremely patient nurses whose line of patience can impress saints themselves to care for such...unique people until they're deemed fit to go home and back to a normal life. If not, well...the hospital is their home forever.' said Tsuna with a somber smile. 'They're there for life as they're more a danger to themselves than others.'

'Ah...' Alaude tried picturing that kind of nightmarish scenario in his mind. 'It must be worth the pay?'

'Probably. They got the hardest job out of all doctors and nurses in their line of work. They're probably compensated properly.' Tsuna chirped reassuringly. 'It makes me wonder how medical advances became possible in my day, now I want to know history more. Heh.' she giggled.

Indeed, its so.

xxx

Tsuna taught the Primo Generation how to make their lives easier using their flames and abilities if she's to ever go home someday.

Giotto's job was the bathing water and drinking water. He will take it from the river as ice, carry it to the bathroom, and then melt it hot to kill any bacteria to any parasites and eggs that could be in there for one minutes, then cool down the water enough for reasonable, comfortable heat for bathing. As for drinking water after its sterilized and purified by boiling it hot enough to kill any bacteria, virus, parasites and their eggs, he cools it down and they can enjoy cold drinks, particularly on a hot day...with blocks of ice even! Even drinking wine will be a pleasure.

G's job is to take care of the garbage and filth in the house with his Disintegrating ability. Heck, not even ashes will remain! He could clean the mansion this way, he just needed precise and careful control and choosing what to burn lest he burns the house down. To avoid accidents, Asari must be close by to negate his flames.

If livestock is hard to come by for various reasons, Asari can hunt game/catch fish, shoot them with his flames and tranquilize them instantly for easy catch.

Knuckle would be their doctor in regards to injuries and other forms of physical stresses. That way, they won't be spending much on medical necessities if the man was around and money will only be spent on antidotes for poisons, and medical care for illnesses and diseases.

Alaude, if they ever decided to build a farm, can 'encourage' crops to grow more fruit and yield more than they should. Livestock? Why every time they're in heat, 'encourage' to have 'more! He can even 'propagate' water so less trouble for him as well. Other than that, his job was the firewood. With his strength, its easy to decimate a few trees!

Daemon can create tools needed for various tasks if any of the real deal is unavailable at present situations. He just needs to know how they look like, how are they made and function so they can still build and work, and get things done.

Lampo is practically their electricity supplier and provide their home with lights at night that will not extinguish as long as he's still supplying the flames needed to power up the house, and keep it running with his will.

The question now is, who among them is a good cook when she leaves?

Free time...was training time and fighting time. Its to stay in shape and get better. There were eight people capable of fighting now thus everyone has sparring partners, although Elena was at first, horrified that Tsuna had to wear men's clothes because she was sparring with Lampo, training him to be a better fighter since out of all of them, he was the least skilled, being a scaredy-cat. But with her patience and kindness, he slowly grew to overcome his fear, self-esteem and insecurity that the 'mother' in Tsuna came out again. Despite language barriers, it was easy to see, feel and 'hear' encouragements from her.

It was easy to see that Lampo naturally gravitated to the younger girl who really has the air of a mother. The youngest guardian was neglected in all levels and deprived of anything bar education and wealth. Sure he made friends but he lacked what he really wanted. A parent to love him.

She even sung him a lullaby when he took a nap from 'free time', exhausted from training and her lap was his pillow. Said lullaby was only understandable by Japanese Speakers by the way, and it had to be translated.

xxx

'I find it ultimately strange that Miss Tsuna, a girl two years younger than Lampo is mothering him and he's letting her...what's going on?' Knuckle wondered aloud, baffled as they gathered at the living room, enjoying the snacks and cold drinks Tsuna made them.

'You know Lampo's past Knuckle. Heck, we had to stop him from drinking his sorrows as a child, remember?' G reminded the priest. His words shocked Elena.

'Lampo's drinking as a child?!' she gasped in horror. 'Why?!'

'He's neglected in several ways that traumatized him for life.' said Asari. 'He's lucky he's the son of a noble so at least he got education and materialistic comforts money can buy but what damaged him is that his family never paid him attention and he's really lonely. When we met him, he gave up on life and took to drinking and drink he did as his family will never care, and the barman was too scared to stop a noble from what he wanted. Alaude nearly killed the barman for letting a child drink.' he said, shaking his head. 'He found a home and friends in us but what he really wanted, we could not give him. The love of a parent. We don't have the mentality of one nor the ability.'

'At best, we're older brothers to him.' said G. 'We're no parent material any day.' he snorted airily.

'Oh...' Elena deflated. 'Then Tsuna...'

'She learned how from her foster sister who's the epitome of a kind, gentle, serene, understanding and accepting, nurturing, loving mother.' said Giotto. 'Her own mother was one she ran away from. Tsuna was a bullied child protected by few and her mother was the kind who believes what she only wants to believe despite obvious truths in front of her. A distressed child, seeing she has nowhere to turn to not even her own home made Tsuna run away and get lucky with a foster family. With her foster sister as an example, she was determined to become a good mother. A mother her own never was to her, and a mother all children could go to. She would love them like they're her own.' he explained. 'She has an adoptive son at home and she knows Lampo needed a parent and she gravitated to his need of a parent. Age no longer mattered. But need. And she knows who needs a parent. Instinct.'

'But what will we do when the time comes that Tsuna's family takes her back? She can't be here forever and you know it.' Daemon pointed out. 'That kid...' he frowned. Lampo cannot get too attached or he really will get hurt.

'I just hope that those two doesn't get too attached...' said Asari sadly. 'Someday, she will leave us when her family finds her...it will break him.'

Everyone sighed.

xxx

Lampo was happy. Very happy and happily snuggled into Tsuna's warm embrace of comfort after training. She was strict and hard on him in training, but she never spoke harshly or strictly. She would speak to him encouragingly, nevermind the damn language barrier but he knows the sound of encouragement any day. She never gave up on him when he complained and whined which was why he pushed himself. When he was able to do as she asked(translated by Alaude), she would praise him happily and then give advice on how he can do better to improve his skills.

His life was more important after all, she wanted him to become the best so he would live while at the same time, able to support his family. Someday, she would leave and she wanted to leave, knowing he would be alright. That she did all she could for him and left behind training notes in paper. And her behavior lately?

She was rushing things...and eager to spend time with anybody as much as possible.

Her reason?

'Its coming soon.' she said. 'Soon...I'll be able to go home.' she told Giotto. 'I left behind a training book in the art room for everybody.' she said.

'You can feel that hole coming?' Giotto asked her one night...at close to midnight. He was always the last one to sleep out of all of them with Tsuna being second last due to her job.

'Yes...someone else was responsible for it. But it can be recreated by a friendly.' Tsuna smiled. 'Sakura-chan will definitely save me. But since the Return Card uses up too much power, either she will rely on the power of the Sacred Sakura Tree in my family's shrine in Tomoeda Town for extra power...or have the help of the Arcobaleno.'

'Tsuna...tell me everything about you.' Giotto pleaded. 'The true you.' Tsuna floated towards him, gently cupped his face with her hands, and their foreheads touched together.

Giotto thought at first she'd kiss him to his embarrassment, but instead, her memories flew into his mind. From childhood...to present.

Their young friend is a powerful sorceress and a flame user. And she's on her way to becoming a great fighter herself.

'That is who and what I am...Vongola Primo.' Tsuna chirped when she let go as Giotto gaped at her in shock as more memories came to his mind. 'I'm your great-great granddaughter. Hello, ancestor.' Giotto's jaws dropped.

'E-EHHHHHH?!'

Tsuna laughed jovially and in a carefree laughter.

'You can learn what I know...I gave you everything, didn't I? You can do magic too...believe in yourself.' Tsuna gently encouraged him. 'Magic runs in the family. I lied to my tutor and father that I'm 'born lucky', a lie to tell to Nono. Anyone with powerful Will can do magic but it will be disastrous if the wrong person learns it. Greed for power is rampant in my world through money, weapons, and human resources...they may even try something as stupid as bring back the dead. Its forbidden unless you catch the dying and stop their deaths. You're a Sun-Based Magician like me.'

'Do my guardians have the potential to learn magic, Tsuna-chan?' Giotto asked her hopefully.

'If anyone...it will be Alaude-san and Daemon-san.' said Tsuna. 'They have powerful Moon-Based Potential in their blood...but Giotto-san, there's no Vongola Mafia in my era who are magicians and your descendants never knew of magic. I knew because the Mizuki Family adopted me and saw my potential. Choose your students wisely based on our family intuition that never failed us before. Follow your instincts for it will serve you well. If you follow your heart, the future I'll return to will turn to chaos and destruction.' Giotto nodded nervously. 'I trust you with this power...and I trust our family blood that you'll choose students wisely.'

'Aa. This is a load of pressure though...' said Giotto weakly as he weakly sat on his desk. 'Can I take a third option and keep it to myself and a secret?'

'There's that.' his descendant grinned. 'Good night, Giotto-san. I have other things to do in my will before they come for me.' Giotto nodded and she left his office.

xxx

That next day, the mansion remained spic and span. And the gardens are blooming wonderfully.

And Training continued too.

Tsuna took to making healthy meals since Elena came too. Since they're in a landlocked area of Italy, seafood is hard to come by so her things are mostly livestock and vegetables. The reason she managed to even acquire fish bones was because of recent trade the first month she got here and trading with port towns is pretty rare. As rare as diamond in a jewelry shop in this era no doubt. So she made the most of what she gets and recently, she's boiling pork, beef and chicken bones for flavor with extra help from condiments.

With magical psychometry, she knows how to use and manipulate ingredients, and bring out best flavors. She left the knowledge in her cooking book, which she wrote in English and Japanese of using Thoughtography wherein she can psychically burn images onto paper.

When her cookbook sets are complete...she made the books water, fire, oil, and stain-proof.

Years later, these cookbooks will be copied and passed on to their children and descendants through teaching. Thus a number of families became great cooks.

A week later...

'Tsuna-chan, a good friend of mine will be coming with his famiglia.' said Giotto nervously. 'Can you...you know?'

'Hai hai. Prepare seven bedrooms, clean the mansion and make sure the garden is OK, right?' Tsuna chuckled. 'That's the same thing Daemon-san asked me when his wife came over.' Giotto looked sheepish. 'When will he come?'

'Well, three days from now which is why I'm doing shopping too because there will be a lot of mouths to feed...will you be OK caring for 16 people, yourself included?!' Giotto fretted out.

'I'll be OK!' Tsuna grinned. 'You know what I am. Had I been a normal housekeeper I may freak.'

Giotto can only laugh weakly.

xxx

The Future...

Sakura had to take a day off school when Vongola practically knocked on the Tsukimine Shrine, as the Kinomoto Family had no knowledge about the mafia...they do. Apparently Tsuna has been kidnapped by magical forces through a swirling black hole and she was gone for a week now. With Reborn having knowledge of the cards, he called her out with her Guardians while he called out the entire Arcobaleno for their ability as a set to get her back. But they need Sakura.

Iemitsu exploded when he heard the real reason Colonello had to go to Tomoeda and came along out of frantic worry.

'So that's what happened to that girl huh? Dammit, I never thought HE'D take it this far!' Kero swore. 'Tsuna was never involved with the cards with the exception of her saving Sakura from the Maze and Earthy cards!'

'The fact that she is her associate is enough reason, plushie.' said Mammon as Kero sported an annoyed tic. 'That's how it works regarding our people.'

'I'm not a plushie!'

'But nonetheless, its another...incident we have to take care of. Incidents that force Sakura to change the cards.' said Yue. 'This time...it will both be what we need. The Return card and the Arcobaleno. We don't know how far back she's been taken...so it will take a lot of our power to do so...even with the sacred power within this tree.' he said, glancing at the sakura tree adorned with shimenawa around its trunk.

'Let's do this then.' said Aria. 'Sakura-chan, we will give you our energies.' she told Sakura. 'Take all of us with you to where Tsuna-chan is.'

'Hai.' Sakura released her key, turning it into her wand. She raised her wand as the Arcobaleno sent her their energy, turning her wand into a dark, reddish-pink staff with the natures of the Sky Flames on the head of the staff. She tossed out the card needed. 'Card Created by Clow! Discard your old form and be reborn, under your new Master Sakura! Return!' The card turned pink and activated its power in the form of the same circle Reborn saw with Bianchi and Lambo. Then all of them are gone...going back in time for Tsuna while combining time with the power of the Arcobaleno.

xxx

The past...

The Simon Famiglia has arrived and Tsuna stayed out of sight like good housekeepers do. In fact, no training today even. Everyone has to be present and look their best. Judging by how jovially Giotto and G greeted the red-haired, red-eyed guy, they must be really good friends. Giotto wanted a damn good impression he even had Daemon buy her new clothes during the Simon's month-long stay since Giotto wouldn't know women's fashion even if it slapped him in the face.

Apparently, there's a bit of friendly rivalry between two famiglias on who could out-impress the other.

When he admitted that openly, the aristocrat cracked and wheezed in laughter and went shopping with his wife and Tsuna since Elena wanted a model...and it took three days to go back and forth to the mansion and to the nearest town.

So now here she is. After cooking a lot of food as she predicted the ETA of the guests, she was able to bathe in advance after everyone else did. It seems only the Japanese knew how to bathe properly when she learned from Alaude about 19th Century lifestyle and living.

In Europe since medieval times, it was back-breaking to carry water and heat it up to pour into the bathtub. So people use the same water in the bathtub for less trouble, do everything there so...the last person who went in is no doubt dirtier than they are before they took a bath! It was gross! She got wind about this from Alaude how 19th century people bathe so he said Giotto took it upon himself to teach their Italian-and-French peers about the correct-and more cleaner way-of bathing and its why Vongola no longer uses bathtubs, but a big, deep water bucket about three feet tall and as wide as a well stone cover, and a dipper. And they sit on a nice wooden stool for comfort. When Daemon came, they taught him how to bathe after telling him that the way they've been doing it was wrong and utterly gross, horrifying the handsome aristocrat(and sucks to be him, he's always the last among his brothers to bathe given order every after military training. When he became a Guardian, he taught Elena too.). Heating water? No problem! The water was mostly Giotto's job since the day everyone discovered he could make ice from the river and melt it in an instant, complete with heating too!

Originally, they did the water troubles old-fashioned. It was until Tsuna's arrival that made medieval living easier and less pain on the back.

Now then, she wondered how will Giotto handle the guests, while she plays the role of a good housemaid.

xxx

Gardens...

Tsuna looked at the gardens she had all flowers blossom despite being out of season. She has been here for seven months now, that her hair grew down to her calves, her hair almost touching her feet that it was enough to make a long wig out of it and she refuses to get a haircut till she gets home.

'Tsuna.' Tsuna turned around to see her foster son Lampo. He wanted to spend time with her since he didn't want to spend time with strangers and spending time with her was a preferable option if his family isn't around and right now, the adults are doing chummy business he wanted no part in. That, and he never did get business and political education from his family anyway before running off with Vongola.

xxx

'Whoa, is that pretty girl Lampo's girlfriend? They're kind of chummy together.' Cozart pointed out as he and Giotto, together with G had a private wine time together after a big delicious lunch. They saw the pair at the gardens under a tree, with Lampo cuddling on her lap and she was doting on him.

'She is Tsuna, our housekeeper.' said Giotto. 'A very efficient one too.' he said.

'Er, I don't see other servants around...' Cozart pointed out. 'I have one person per job at home to get things done quickerso we can focus on the more important stuff.'

'Well there's a good reason why we're not hiring anybody yet.' said G. 'And until the time comes, we can't say a word about it.'

'Ah...it centers around that little miss?'

'Good guess. Your intuition is as good as mine.' said Giotto with a wry smile. Tsuna is their unique case and he can't let too many people find out about her. His time-traveling great-great granddaughter who is also his tenth generation and a sorceress. And she has YET to be rescued but his gut is saying she'll be going home soon.

Too soon.

'But she will be going home soon.' said Giotto as G glanced at his best friend. 'They're coming.'

Cozart looked confused at how his two childhood friends are behaving. They're acting all mysterious about that pretty Asian girl in the gardens yet look sad at the same time. Who exactly is this girl to them?

xxx

Everyone in Vongola felt the same way as Giotto and G.

All of them felt that one of them will be leaving. And they know WHO.

They could FEEL it in their flames. Its as if they're all synchronized to know that a family member will leave forever which is why Lampo was clinging to her hard after lunch, hoping she would never go.

Tsuna herself knows that she would be rescued soon. While she would be glad to go home, she would be sad to leave them too. The Primo were good and kind to her so she did her best to return their kindness. They became her friends too and Lampo is now her eldest son. Waaaay eldest.

As she taught him more piano songs, she was also able to get along with the other Simon Family members who knew Japanese because Giotto taught Cozart when they were children, and the man passed that knowledge to his own family. Cozart also has his own famiglia of seven. Only, instead of Sky Flames, theirs were Earth Flames and they too, have their own rings as Tsuna could sense. Upon probing the famiglia's rings with her magics, its obvious that Cozart who wasn't near her is Earth, the other members have powers relating to the Earth as well which she found interesting.

By the end of the Simon's First Week in Vongola Mansion...it was a moonlit night that night.

A full moon.

A black hole materialized in the gardens of Vongola HQ.

'So this is where she could be?' Iemitsu mused as they all fell out of the hole.

'Aa. But this looks like a castle to me with a beautiful garden.' said Kero as they looked at their surroundings. 'Some rich family must have taken her in.'

'We better hurry, this spell is taking a lot of power.' said Verde. 'We have ten minutes before we weaken since we are giving Sakura the power for the spell.'

'I'm so sorry~!' Sakura apologized with comical waterfall tears as they went into the mansion.

xxx

'Giotto-san...' Tsuna spoke softly as dinner that night, they all felt immense power descend onto the mansion save for Elena who doesn't have the power.

'So...its time.' said Giotto softly as Vongola knew what came as Lampo, the horrified, grief-stricken Lightning Guardian lunged for Tsuna and clung to her tightly.

'No! Non andare!' he cried desperately in grief. 'Soggiorno qui!'(No! Don't go! Please stay!) he begged in heart-wrenching sobs. He didn't want his mother-figure to go!

'Lampo...' Tsuna gasped out, stricken by Lampo's grief that she would be leaving forever. The time would come eventually and seeing her son like this made her want to cry too. Elena threw her husband a confused, helpless look and he told her they would explain why when she leaves.

'Sai arriverà questa volta, Lampo. Deve andare a casa. Lei non può rimanere qui per sempre.' said G, also sad that she would be going. 'Lei non appartiene al nostro mondo. Doveva tornare a casa per lei.' (You know this time will come, Lampo. She must go home. She cannot stay here forever. She doesn't belong in our world. She must return home to hers.)

'NO!'

'Giotto, cosa stanno parlando? Cosa sta succedendo?' Cozart asked Giotto, baffled. (what're they talking about? What's going on?) the dining hall opened and a bunch of strangers, and babies with glowing pacifiers came in, as well as a winged beautiful man and a lion. They all braced themselves until Tsuna said one word.

'Papa!' Tsuna cried as future Vongola and Arcobaleno saw an incredible sight. Tsuna was with Vongola Primo generation! The adults and Lampo froze at her exclaimation. No matter what language, anyone would know what that word means. That, and Lampo was clinging to her tightly too while crying and the boy was staring at them in disbelief.

'Tsuna!' Iemitsu gasped out. 'Are you alright?'

'I'm alright...just sad I have to go and they're sad that I'm leaving too.' said Tsuna, her own tears flowing. 'Can you tell them in Italian for me 'Thank you for everything'? G-san, Lampo, Knuckle-san, Alaude-san and Daemon-san can't understand Japanese...we sensed your arrival in this world.'

'That explains this gloomy atmosphere then.' said Aria with a sad smile as Iemitsu faced their ancestors and did a 45-degree bow.

'Mia figlia è stata presa da noi nel nostro mondo. Sono felice di aver trovato buone persone che l'hanno preso in, e si prese cura di lei mentre ha perso in questo momento. Grazie per prendersi cura di mia figlia.' he said in utter gratefulness. (My daughter was taken from us in our world. I'm happy that she found good people who took her in, and took care of her while she's lost in this time. Thank you for caring for my daughter.)

'...Il padre può parlare italiano, mentre lei no?' Knuckle blinked owlishly. (the father can speak Italian while she can't?)

'Beh, lei deve ancora imparare l'italiano.' said Iemitsu sheepishly. (Well, she has yet to learn Italian) Vongola gave him a deadpan look despite their grief. They had grown fond of Tsuna and they were sad to see her go.

'Lampo, lasciarla andare ora ... il padre e la famiglia sono qui per portarla a casa ora. Torna al loro tempo.' Giotto told Lampo sadly and the boy reluctantly let her go. (Lampo, let her go now...her father and family are here to take her home now. Back to their time.)

'Lampo, become a good strong man for me, OK?' Tsuna smiled shakily. 'Become a man you can be proud of. Promise me that?' Asari translated for Lampo who nodded while sniffling. Tsuna stood from her seat as her dress faded away into golden light, switching to the clothes she wore when she came.

'Andiamo a vedere la sua via. Stasera sarà l'ultimo.' said Elena softly as they stood up and followed the future denizens to the garden where a black hole awaited them. (Let's go see her off. Tonight will be our last.)

xxx

'Its the same hole that took Tsuna here...they were able to recreate it.' Knuckle gasped out as they saw the hole hovering above the gardens Tsuna created for them.

'I guess she's really going home.' G sighed, deflating.

'We'll miss her but she really can't stay here...or there will be a time loop regarding her existence.' said Giotto.

'That time loop is now forever in her existence.' Reborn told them to the guardians' surprise. 'The person responsible for this event started this whole situation. Her existence as Tsuna from the past heading to the future will forever travel in time, and meet all of you before she will be rescued by us. This situation is now forever in existential time print in our lives. We are lucky that Tsuna ended up with you. We couldn't have asked for a better situation than this.'

'I-I see...time is a complicated thing to talk about.' said Daemon, pinching his nose.

'It is. Its why it should never be messed with.' said Aria. 'Her father looked ready to find and kill the person responsible...he practically left his job to join us to get Tsuna back and tear the perpetrator to pieces when we go back home.' she said sheepishly.

xxx

'Tsuna...' Lampo croaked out. 'Vorrei davvero che avrebbe potuto soggiornato qui con noi per sempre. Ho molta voglia di essere egoista, ma...la gente ti aspettano a casa.' he said sadly. Tsuna looked at her father who translated for her and she smiled, tugging on her father's sleeve. (I really wish you could have stayed here with us forever. I really want to be selfish but...people are waiting for you at home.)

'Lampo, I love you guys as family and I love you as my son. I never cared about age anyway but you're like a son to me. I'm glad to have met you.' the Japanese speakers among the Simon STARED wide-eyed and Iemitsu choked before translating for Lampo. The Arcobaleno, Sakura, Kero and Yue were also wide-eyed at her words. Lampo smiled weakly and hugged her and she hugged him back. 'Well...bye-bye.' she said softly as they all jumped into the hole and vanished.

'OK, you guys explain! Seriously!' Cozart choked out. 'What in blazes is going on?!'

'Well...its a long story better explained in the dining room...while enjoying the last meal she ever cooked for us.' said Giotto with a sad smile.

He told the Simon how Tsuna ended up in their world from the future and she's been living with them as their housekeeper in exchange for her stay until the people from the 20th century rescues her by traveling back in time after recreating the same hole that took her here. She mostly talked to Giotto, Asari and Alaude as she could only speak Japanese and English as Alaude had been to England and learned the language. They often had to be translators for everyone else. The real reason the Vongola never hired servants was to avoid too many people from learning about Time Travel whether accidental or by purpose.

That, and Giotto who was privy to certain things dropped the bomb. Tsuna and her father are his great-great grandchildren and Tsuna is in fact, **Vongola Decimo** to their utter shock. She also left them books, advice about how to make life easier with their powers, and recipes she cooked for them as well as sheet music pieces.

Tsuna has also had impact on their lives. She taught them things they never knew they could do, and trained hard in it to become powerful, to ensure there WILL be succeeding generations as Tsuna is their tenth. They intended to marry and leave behind descendants to pave the way to the future. They also learned how to cook from the cookbooks she left behind, and how to do various chores, and Asari was the only one who could understand the sheet music she left behind as they were all lullabies and gentle songs she left behind. She also left behind training manuals and letters for each of them, telling them her feelings for them.

Because Tsuna gave Giotto her memories, he learned sorcery from her too. He was able to predict the future and pretty much lived and breathed in it without losing control of himself...and it was through this skill that years from now, he saw how his decisions will affect his family and worked against his own bad decisions because he foresaw Daemon's drastic change when Elena was killed, and how it affected the future up to Tsuna's time. Thus, he refused to disband the military force they acquired and said military force, Giotto went through with a fine-toothed comb to ensure only those who shared their ideals are in and as he is working too hard, G became his public face and often had to help him in work. And due to their elements, Giotto had assigned them roles in correspondence to their elements. Roles all of them embodied.

The reason for Giotto's excuse in 'getting swamped with work' was because he chose to teach Alaude. Alaude learned Moon-Based sorcery from him with Giotto telling him he should choose his pupils wisely as giving the wrong people magic will be disastrous. Alaude wound up never having any pupils, not even his own children out of paranoia and kept the knowledge to himself. And because Tsuna's father is an External Advisor to Vongola, Giotto created CEDEF and had Alaude head it, and had him build the organization in Alaude's own terms and rules. A job Alaude agreed to.

Lampo worked and trained hard in his skills and abilities, and sought to study hard to become a man he could be proud of, and recovered from his childhood trauma when he became known in Italy as a powerful, competent man under Vongola, eventually outshining his older brother with his famiglia and his mother's last words being his motivations to become what he is now.

Knuckle became a physician, and as a priest who could heal, he became famous as 'God's Hand', but he could only heal physical injuries which he made clear, and even had a large sign in his office and the church he works in. With his reputation, he was able to convert more people to Christianity and encourage them to do good and the right thing to help Vongola in creating the ideal world they all strove to create.

Asari took care of everyone since. He is the only competent cook in the house and despite having recipe books, he could NOT comprehend HOW can his family still make a royal mess! Until Giotto hired servants, he was the cook. But he removed Japanese recipes from the books for the sake of preserving history.

Daemon took Tsuna's words seriously and talked with Elena about family planning, and why women in Tsuna's world no longer wore corsets. So Elena stopped wearing them and waited for three years to adjust to life without one, and constantly seeing Knuckle for her abdominal pains as she was slowly getting used to 'freedom'. Once she no longer ached, they tried for a baby...and Elena nearly died if not for Knuckle's timely healing and Giotto's distant assistance as he still hides the fact that he and Alaude knew magic. They got a daughter together whom they named Felicia, a name that meant 'lucky' and Vongola became guests in the Christening Party...but their enemies just had to barge in, prompting a pissed-off father to show how terrifying he is when family is concerned and he himself, destroyed half the church with his illusions to Knuckle's horror and it took the whole famiglia to calm down the enraged man...who soon went off to destroy their organizations on his own!

G snidely remarked that they sure are dumb to piss off an illusionist on his daughter's big day of all things and Daemon is now feared by his own, and his wife's family, resolving to never have his anger at them. And out of paranoia, the new family stayed at the mansion.

However, Giotto can never change the fact that Daemon's whole being was dedicated to Vongola and his world revolved around it, his feats, and his family. At least he was able to prevent a horrible future mostly caused by the illusionist's madness.

One day, they all retired from Vongola, leaving behind a generation they could trust, and they all retired to Japan. In a town that will become Namimori. Giotto synchronized with his guardians to restore their youth and vitality, having come up with an alibi for that, telling them that their duty is not yet over. They must give rise to descendants in Japan as well for their friend's sake. On their elderly years upon having plenty of children, Giotto and Alaude returned to Italy one last time...to perform a certain failsafe that eventually became Vongola's Traditions. He also left behind four vials of blood. One in Vongola's hands, three in Talbot's. Cozart did the same.

As for the Simon Family, their experience in that one month stay deeply affected their beliefs that Cozart wrote a diary about it, unable to forget it. However, he had seen how his children and grandchildren desired the power of the Simon Rings and not for the better. He had a talk with his current guardians that whoever was the last among them to die of old age, he is to bury the rings in his tomb until the day that the rightful heirs are born. Right now as he hated to admit it, they cannot trust their children and grandchildren with their power, hoping that one day, among their descendants, someone can be trusted enough to.

Before their dying years, Giotto and Cozart went to the Vendice...


	13. Home

Home

Home to the Future, in Tomoeda...

'We're finally back.' said Kero as they got out of the time tunnel they used.

'How is everybody?' Iemitsu quickly did a status check.

'Well, quite exhausted as you can see.' said Colenello as the Arcobaleno were breathing heavily.

'I suppose having Time Travel Experience should be enough pay for this job.' said Mammon tiredly.

'Seeing the original Vongola HQ and the Primo Generation...I'll never forget this as long as I live.' Skull shivered in excitement. 'And nobody will believe us because let's face it, who will?'

'We'll keep this a secret then.' said Reborn. 'Sakura.' he spoke to Sakura who nodded.

'Hai. We will keep this secret...and we really don't want to look crazy either.' said Sakura weakly. 'But senpai, its only a week...how come everyone acted weirdly in the past?' she asked Tsuna who was still clinging to her father.

'A week? I was there for seven _months_.' Tsuna told them with a snort. Everyone choked at that.

'HAH?!/PHWEEEE!'

'S-seven months...I guess that explains why you're so close to our ancestors.' Iemitsu choked out...when his daughter lost some inches, and her hair is regressing. 'Wha?!'

'H-her hair...' Colonello croaked shakily. 'It's shortening on its own!'

'Well, my body is simply rewinding in time, Colonello.' said Tsuna. 'I'm still 13 years old in this world while there I turned 14 and grew. I didn't cut my hair while in that world too so naturally, my body's time will rewind to the laws of time in our world. Its nothing to worry about.'

'Oh...'

'I'm glad its not a bad thing.' Iemitsu sighed in relief. 'Well, we should all go home now. We waited for midnight for a literal full moon to use the card to bring back Tsuna. Let's all go to that hotel we booked. Its been quite the night.'

xxx

Late that night, they were lucky the hotel is still open in Tokyo. Then again, the night life is still active and most of the customers must be living the night life.

'Tsuna, what went on in the past?' Iemitsu asked his daughter.

'Well, you can imagine how I felt ending up before our ancestor.' said Tsuna wryly as Iemitsu, Reborn and Colonello snorted. 'At that time, the Vongola Mansion just finished construction so it was still pretty bare bar bedrooms...and Giotto, G and Ugetsu are 19, Lampo 16, Daemon 18 and recently married, Knuckle 20 and Alaude 22. Kinda young and they aren't legends yet at the time. That, and I can only talk to three people. Giotto and Asari for obvious reasons and Alaude knew English other than Italian and French. If I wanted to talk to the others, I needed a babysitter translator...'

Tsuna told them about life in the 19th century thus, and got the opportunity to know each Primo Member...bits of History they didn't know about today, and Iemitsu, Reborn, Colonello and Mammon who worked for Vongola were shocked about the pasts of each member, and learned about 19th Century life from Alaude. She also got to know Daemon's wife, Elena who was the same age as Lampo who came to Vongola HQ for a good reason...and Daemon went off for revenge...and she gradually took care of Lampo. And the people they saw with Vongola? Why the Primo Simon Famiglia Generation!

She got to know them because Giotto taught Cozart Japanese when they were still children, so the man also taught his famiglia so she was able to get to know them too and it was easy to get their history.

What she left out were things involving magic and her part in making Vongola strong of course.

Iemitsu swore they had to re-check Vongola's History regarding the Primo Generation now due to the Time Loop in their lives caused by the trouble-making magician in Tomoeda.

xxx

Namimori, the next day...

'Tsuna-neee!' Lambo wailed as Tsuna caught her much-younger son.

'I'm home, Lambo.' she missed him dearly. If for Lambo she's gone by a week, she was gone for seven months! She missed him more than Lambo missed her.

'Reborn...what happened?' Bianchi asked Reborn who smirked.

'Its a long and incredible story...and I'm guessing as soon as CEDEF goes home, Iemitsu will be double-checking Vongola's History Books.' Reborn snorted. It wasn't just them who missed her. Gokudera and Yamamoto are open with it while Hibari was more reserved about it.

The thing?

Only Gokudera knew what happened through his sister. He had to remain and distract the other boys while Reborn went with the Arcobaleno and meet with her father in Tomoeda. For her to be seven months THERE while she's gone in their time for a WEEK, her ways of interaction that she missed them was clearly seen and was quite clingy.

Gokudera BLUSHED at being clung on by his beautiful boss(not that he blames her), Yamamoto blushed because his best friend IS hugging him while still clueless about social implications, and Hibari froze like a statue, so did the whole school for that matter when she hugged HIM, happily calling him 'oniisan' and how she'd make him his favorites everyday in child-like manner and glee. He was in utter shock Kusakabe had to snap his fingers many times till the Prefect Leader got over his shock. As far as people knew, she was absent for 'a very strict family gathering and tradition' but how had she gotten so hyper-bouncy and clingy as if she's gone for years? Or was her family gathering THAT strict freedom is bliss?

Ohhh if only they knew the truth...and for the time being, Reborn allowed Tsuna seven months of reprieve to spend time with Lambo. She trained in the past after all, and did not lose her progress. Just her height and hair length. She also resumed her baking hobbies, filling up their entire stock of sweets and cakes...to Lambo's delight. She made plenty of traditional sweets, cakes and pastries and she never once forgot Yamamoto's request, and sent three cakes, as well as ten boxes of autumn-inspired namagashi and ten boxes of senbei. She also sent quite the pile to Gokudera's apartment by using a deliveryman but in his case, she sent him pies, various pastries and cookies, being a westerner.

One day, on late autumn...is a Sports Festival Day. With a twist.

Unlike Tomoeda where both boys and girls participated, here, the participants are only boys to Tsuna's chagrin, but she supported her friends nonetheless, and made them a big lunch. The Main Attraction was Pole Knocking in where, through magical interference, Gokudera was captain after Sasagawa Ryohei 'resigned'.

Gokudera was more than eager to show off to prove himself reliable to his boss...and since then, one Sasagawa Ryohei did NOT stop pestering the group, asking Gokudera to fight him. They just found another fighting nutcase but Tsuna could see some resemblance in him of Knuckle. Only, instead of 'Ultimate', the boy says 'Extreme'.

She approached him on an offer, after consulting Reborn...and her family. Hibari was annoyed that she's bring in the loud-mouth, pushy boy, Yamamoto was OK with it as Sasagawa-senpai was friendly and Gokudera...well, he knows full well how Hibari feels since Sports Day! Apparently the guy was constantly pestering Hibari for a match as Hibari is the strongest boy in town and to Hibari, the boxer isn't worth his time and just snubs him or when he is TOO pushy, beat the crap out of him.

'Hey...you said you wanted to be stronger...right?' Tsuna smiled. 'Do you want to join us?'

'Join...us? Does that mean you're pretty strong too, Sawada-chan?' Ryohei perked up happily. 'What's in it for me?'

'Well, let's just say training will be...'extremely extreme'.' Tsuna chuckled. 'You'll enjoy it very much. So you'll fight me for you to decide.' so Ryohei, excited by a potential fight but slightly worried because he's fighting a girl...he quickly changed his mind when he saw how she moved...and lost to her horribly that shocked him, and accepted her offer in hopes of getting better.

Due to his nature as a boxer and particularly resembling Knuckle that Tsuna liked, Reborn went all-out in training the new family addition...that by the time February came, Ryohei's muscles are very pronounced and toned, and his Boxing skills improved, as well as his reaction, reflexes, timing and evasion skills.

October 14...was Tsuna's birthday. A day she never bothered celebrating, so she asked Reborn who knew to keep it quiet since she never cared about it, and its just a reminder that she turned 14 again! She did in the past and today's present. But she did make special food that day.

Around Late October, Dino Cavallone came knocking. He was interested in Reborn's new student, with the sadistic tutor having many good things to say about her so he came to meet his beautiful kohai. And with Tsuna predicting his arrival, she chose a good day to skip school and prepare to receive her guests. And having cooked for Italians, she knew her stuff by now.

xxx

Dino 'Bucking Bronco' Cavallone earned his name and fame as one of the youngest-and incurably clumsy-Mafia Bosses in History...that's after tort-er-training from the sadistic tutor Reborn. He was trained by him for three years before getting a job to train her when Vongola's situation got...iffy.

Well, Vongola Nono, Don Timoteo Vongola has three, perfectly capable sons all of whom older than him by a couple years. Well-trained, well-educated. Yet all of them died within the decade since the Cradle Affair, prompting desperate measures...in one middle school girl. The last heir left. From what he heard from Reborn she's beautiful, a capable cook, motherly(to anyone who needed a mother), and a hard worker, demanding only the best out of her own work. But hopelessly naïve, and innocently-childlike in socializing, romance is the last thing on her mind being 'mentally younger' and would never know if her male friends are crushing on her unless bluntly said at her face, but Reborn was having fun at their expense, wondering who'd fess up first!

OK, he wants to meet these kids.

He had flown to Japan with his worrywart subordinates...with good reason.

Why, if not a single one is around, he's more of a danger to HIMSELF!

Namimori, Japan...he arrived to her apartment.

'Welcome!' Dino got greeted by his really cute junior clad in a furisode. Vongola's next Donna is a beauty!

'Well met, Lady Vongola, Sawada Tsuna.' Dino greeted jovially.

'Saa, come inside!' Tsuna chirped. 'Everyone can come in. There's plenty of room for everybody!' she said as she wasn't kidding...magic can make things possible such as distorting space itself to make her apartment living room seem larger than how it looks outside, and upon exciting, the guys will forget about how 'spacey' her flat is thus never ever ask about it. There are wooden, elegantly carved chairs with leather padding for back and rear comfort, resembling classroom armchairs lined up against the walls. Enough for 25 people Dino was with, with himself being the 26th person. 'Bianchi~! Lambo~! Help me with the refreshments?' Dino BALKED horribly at the words Bianchi and Snacks in the same sentence and so did his whole family.

'Er, Lady Vongola, B-Bianchi and Snacks don't belong in the same sentence!' Romario, Dino's right hand choked as Tsuna laughed away his anxiety.

'Oh, you don't have to worry about THAT for now!' she said. 'My prototype is still working!'

'P-Prototype?' Dino swallowed as Bianchi and Lambo helped with snacks distributions.

'Hai. I made her a Seal Ring that seals away her Poison Powers so she could actually cook real food.' Tsuna explained. 'She's an excellent chef when sealed so she's a great help when a lot of people drop by.' she said happily. 'It's still a prototype so I don't know how long it'll last and we're on a wait-and-see basis. Once I confirm a few things, I intend on making only 100 rings as there are few Poison Chefs in the world anyway.'

'Oh...' the Cavallone calmed down considerably at that. Nobody's gonna die today but...Dino has had a BAD history with Bianchi...and he was glad his snacks did not look weird so its safe, yah?

The snacks were ice cold mango smoothie with whipped cream and raspberry on top, seven senbei crackers seared back-to-back with the Vongola and Cavallone Emblems which all have glaze at the edges, and a fruit bowl containing berries and chopped-up fruit clearly fresh from the fridge since they're all cold with a small bamboo fork.

As they sat together with Lambo on Tsuna's lap chatting about how Tsuna is handling Mafia Life since Dino admitted that he initially didn't want the job either...and told Tsuna of his hellish time under Reborn that made Tsuna look at Reborn as if he's an alien from space.

'Reborn, did you really do all that to senpai?!'

'Well, he's a really clumsy oaf, I had to go Spartan on him unlike you.' said Reborn, sipping his smoothie. 'You're easy to teach. Now then, I have a little thing for Dino to do.'

'W-what'll that be?' Dino asked Reborn nervously.

'You are to stay here for a week without your subordinates so Tsuna can see how easily you can die without them.'

'Reborn!' Tsuna chided scoldingly.

And so...

Tsuna sent the Cavallone men home with boxes of Cakes, Namagashi and Senbei for them to enjoy while Dino lives with her for a week. Dino squeaked at how much she gave them that each of his men carried five to six boxes each per man! And Reborn said she made a lot, knowing he's coming...and during his stay with them, it was...disastrous, to say the least.

Reborn was NOT kidding.

More often than not Tsuna had to catch him...and fix him. Things were so bad she made him a pair of magatama earrings spelled to prevent him from being clumsy. The beads were orange in color, as Dino has sky flames and it goes well with his blonde hair. She was also capable of giving 'suggestions' that its a 'ward against bad balance' and being a former miko whose old job was to make charms, it went in pretty easily.

Once Dino went home, more guests appeared.

I-Pin came, saying Fon wanted her in hiding as the Triads are a tad TOO interested in her Pinzu Bomb powers...and had her join their training club sessions. She also disguised the little Chinese girl by growing her hair properly with a little magic, and made her wear civilian clothes.

Next was Fuuta who was on the run from the Todd Family...and he is fully aware of her abilities due to his Ranking Powers...and being able to contact the Planet meant he has potential to be a Sorcerer whose source of magic is Earth itself, that Tsuna had him 'join the club' and gave him a pair of Magatama Earrings that made him invisible to all who wanted his power for themselves. Fuuta was grateful and was able to live in peace without looking back over his shoulder for a change...and even passed by his other pursuers that never saw him due to the power of the earrings given to him. Even better, only those with magic can see his earrings. Downside? Well, if he ever loses them, he can't ask the other roomies if they'd seen it because they never will, so he has to take good care of the earrings.

With Fuuta's arrival, the set of roomies is completed. Its finally home.


	14. Moving on with life

Moving on with life

November 15...

Its the Shichi-Go-San Festival.

Tsuna prepared for a week in advance for it. She bought Lambo a kimono and taught Lambo proper manners during the ceremony. That, and its for rite of passage for three and five year old boys, and three and seven year old girls, so I-Pin's turn will have to wait for two more years. She wore a komon kimono with her obi in a butterfly. Her hair was TOO LONG to be worn into a formal hairstyle, so she simply wore it loose and took Lambo out...and he got Chitose Ame after the Prayers.

'Tsuna-sama!' Gokudera greeted as Tsuna, in her kimono passed by the school on the way home with Lambo at dismissal time. She wore a bright red flashy kimono with colorful flower prints, and a yellow obi. On her hair were various hairpins that matched her outfit. She even wore make-up. Beautiful...that the two boys blushed. Their only female friend is easily the prettiest girl in school.

'Hello.' she chirped. 'Did I miss anything in class?'

'We got homework at math and social studies, then there's a quiz tomorrow on Chapter 10 of History Class.'

'Thanks! We just got back from the festival and since Lambo did real well today in the festival,' she said proudly as she held Lambo in her arms. 'I thought of taking the kids out at the Amusement Park. Wanna come?' she offered. 'I'd invite oniisan too but he really loves his job.' she said wryly. 'Bianchi's taking I-Pin until we get there.'

'That sounds fun!' Yamamoto grinned. 'I'll go ask pops for some cash! Be right there in a few!' and he was gone, running off, leaving Gokudera with her.

'Shall we go, ojousama?' Gokudera offered his arm to her with a smile.

'Un!'

'Nee Tsuna-nee, what's the amusement park like?' Lambo has never been to one in his life. He spent his life at home, for his education to be a mafioso. Tsuna intended on rectifying that by sending him to SCHOOL instead so he could make friends and have fun. This was after his and I-Pin's Japanese improved of course. They'll BOTH go to school...starting at Kindergarten. Next year's spring with Bianchi and Reborn making up files for the two kids for future use. Fuuta was already going to school as well, wearing his earring that hid him from the Mafia who aren't Vongola and Cavallone, an earring only he and Tsuna can see. He's in Grade 3 under the name Kanou Fuuta.(勘負 風多) Fuuta happily enjoyed school life after a whole childhood of working and fleeing due to his powers.

Iemitsu wondered how many children will his daughter adopt exactly if it wasn't for the fact that the future is set in stone that there will only be three kids, and give them a normal life. Its an admirable cause but still...he felt his daughter should enjoy her teenage life, not grow up too damn fast to his chagrin.

He was just glad its THREE in the present day. Lampo didn't count. He's ancient!

Vongola's History books indeed changed.

There, on some photos of Vongola's History book, was his daughter with some or random founder. That, and it was Giotto who wrote their history which is why the books are kept a sacred secret between boss and guardians only in tightly-guarded vaults. After all, its not everyday you learn the Vongola Decimo got chucked back in time to the Founder's Era...Timoteo nearly got a coronary when Iemitsu requested a look-see into the tightly-guarded vaults and see if 'history changed'. He had to tell Timoteo as to why he thought so...and bam. On the ancient books carefully preserved since 19th century, there was Tsuna. Each Guardian had something to say about their accidental time-traveling friend, with her being closest to Giotto, Asari and Alaude due to the fact the former two speaks Japanese, and Alaude knew English while she adopted Lampo as her son thus the two shared a mother-son bond. She also helped make medieval life easier for the dysfunctional family of men given super-powers, and Daemon owed Tsuna a great deal regarding his wife. His poor wife indeed, had weak organs as a result of years of tight-lacing, Tsuna left behind a cookbook that contained healthy dishes with frequent visits to Knuckle and Alaude to heal her and she's finally ready for childbirth.

For Aristocrats who wore corsets, childbirth is TWICE or thrice as painful(depends on their dietary lifestyle) compared to commoners who can't afford a corset thus had normally natural waistlines and never suffered a corset. The trend took a while to die out though.

Needless to say Timoteo was shocked that the books changed and his successor had quite, an interesting time.

Reborn got wind that history indeed changed...and Tsuna was the reason Lampo's side of the Bovino got interested in Time-Travel. He wanted to go to the future to see her again and try as he could, he eventually gave up and hoped that he could see her again through the Vongola Rings. Its a long wait. His descendants continued on his wish and a century later, the fruit of their labor was the 10-year Bazooka.

xxx

Amusement Park...

Things were going real well. Taking the children out to games and kiddie rides, and eating good ol' carnival snacks and picture-taking.

However, all is not peaceful...when thugs showed up.

'There she is...'

'That's the girl hanging around Hibari, right?'

'If we take her, we can use her against that bastard!'

Famous last thoughts.

They soon discovered Tsuna...isn't so easy to take.

In fact, they had NO chance to begin with.

Childishly naive and innocent in some ways, she is just as horrifying as Hibari is because she has no qualms beating the thugs into high-pitched, girly screams of pain while smiling cheerfully and laughing as if having fun, all the while giving them powerful blows that sends them painfully crashing onto the ground or a tree or a bush. Normally, Gokudera and Yamamoto would have protected her but they were carrying the children and their prizes from games! They ran away, all the while nursing injuries that's comparable to what one normally would get from Namimori's most feared person: Hibari Kyoya.

However, they began fearing Tsuna more because while Hibari's feral bloodlust is to be expected, a child-like, happy and carefree expression on the face while practically kicking your ass is oh-so-wrong to the point of CREEPY.

They never dared go near her ever again either.

Well, they just found out why Hibari respected/feared her the hard way, even though he still defeats her.

Normally, when you fight, you have the expression of thrill fueled by adrenaline, bloodlust and a desire to win/survive and come out on top.

But Tsuna has no such expressions.

To her it was simply like as innocent as playing a child's game and had no such feelings.

Well, there are things she still has to learn after all.

xxx

December 23, Christmas Vacation started then.

'Oniisan,' Tsuna spoke to him after training. 'Would you like to spend christmas with us?' she offered. Hibari is all alone in his house, with his divorced parents merely sending him gifts or more money from abroad. She too, didn't care for christmas due to her religion but for the children's sake, she would do it.

'...thanks, but no.' said Hibari. 'Crime is rampant at this season.' he said. 'Pickpockets, snatchers...even hold-uppers.' he told her. 'My presence keeps them from ruining christmas. I cannot be missing.' well, he sees himself as more efficient than the police after all. They weren't acting fast and quick enough. But not even Hibari can be at many places at once, so he settles for traumatizing who he catches into never doing it again...after a VERY PAINFUL BEATING.

'Oh.' Tsuna deflated. 'What about New Year?' she asked hopefully.

'Same.' Hibari just smiled(he only smiles to her these days and this occurrence is super-rare if only because of their childhood bonds) and patted her head, trying hard to ignore her sad expression. 'Thanks anyway.' she was the only person who really cared for him in return for caring for the sad existence she used to be. She looks after him and sometimes always knows when things are wrong with him or around him. He would find his dinner cooked for him along with a paper containing the recipe and how to cook it, clothes in the hamper freshly laundered, ironed and folded, shoes cleaned and shined, and his house clean because he never had time to care for his big house, 'married to his job' as a means of coping for being all alone. That posse that follows him? They only do out of fear and respect due to the fact that he beat the crap out of them for causing trouble and seeing 'who's boss', followed him an his wishes but no more than that. Kusakabe Tetsuya, their ex-boss acted more as his SiC and Retainer but he just 'can't feel it'. It was only with Tsuna he could feel that someone gave a damn fuck about him and understood him.

'Well...I guess I'll just cook for you again...' she said with a sad smile. Her Cloud Guardian is alone for so long even on important days of his life that he was emotionally numb and no longer cared thanks to his distant parents. She knew that he cared only a little because he knew she cares. But they're a long way to go. Hibari has a long way from thawing his frozen heart and Tsuna has a long way from thawing it.

xxx

Christmas...

The Japanese Vongola joined the Cavallone as Dino intended on staying in Japan till New Year was over, and traditions were mostly followed. Tsuna had asked Reborn to go call Fon so I-Pin would be happy on her first Christmas and New Year's in Japan, a request Fon obliged and appreciated Tsuna's thoughtfulness and caring.

At New Year early in the morning, Dino and Gokudera took turns at hammering the Mochi for the girls to make cakes out of it, and currently, they are making traditional Osechi-Ryori and Ozoni with I-Pin helping out(as she was trained knowing how to cook, due to her martial arts style), with Lambo and Fuuta assisting by preparing the ingredients, although knife-work and anything sharp was left to the older boy.

Gokudera was later made errand boy to give Hibari's in a bento box as the older guardian just never bothers or cares but still...

Tsuna told Gokudera where to find Hibari and where to find him at the time she 'predicted'. She used a Lunch Jar for his Ozoni and Osechi, with some mochi for him as well.

When the food was done, everyone celebrated New Year's Eve...until Fireworks Show Time. At least Hibari made the effort to be with them this time as even small-time miscreants wouldn't want to miss the show.

'Hey Reborn, who is that kid Tsuna's sweet on?' Dino asked Reborn curiously. Tsuna was happy he could come and showed it with a tight hug.

'Hibari Kyoya, the school Head Prefect and Cloud Guardian. She's 'sweet' on him as you put it because as children when she was bullied back then, he was the only one who cared enough to protect her. She never forgets who showed her kindness since she really has a bad bullying history she often cries.' Dino deflated as he could imagine his beautiful, kind kouhai being bullied and crying. 'Hibari was the only one who was there. That's why she's sweet on him and looks after him when she could...which is a lot.'

'Oh...I just can't picture that Reborn, I just can't.' Dino shook his head. 'She seems so...' he croaked out, unable to paint a picture of who she used to be.

'Perfect? She worked hard to get to where she is now. She used to be no-good like you and in schools, the weak are preyed upon.' Reborn told him. 'And Hibari protected her.'


	15. Attacks on School

Attacks on School

The Season of Spring came, starting with March.

Lambo and I-Pin finally went to Kindergarten. Tsuna had to fix I-Pin's hair though. She was bald except for the top of her head where her topknot braid is in Fon's bid to protect her by disguising her as a boy. According to the Storm Arcobaleno, the Pinzu Bomb bloodline was highly prized and a source of amusement for those who find sick, morbid fascination of humans exploding like bombs. Had I-Pin, the last descendant been publicly known as female, she would be forced into a chinese breeding program, kept locked up in a gilded cage until she's old enough for 'breeding'. So Fon, upon the last wishes of I-Pin's grandfather to protect her from the Chinese Triads, made I-Pin a boy and his apprentice and nobody fucks with any Arcobaleno.

Fon appreciated Tsuna's attempts at giving mafioso children a normal life and was able to leave Japan in peace that I-Pin would be OK.

Just that, her fighting skills will NOT rust for her own sake so she joins Vongola's sessions.

Gokudera, Tsuna and Yamamoto are now Sophomores. Ryohei is now a senior and Hibari...just decided to repeat his year despite his stellar grades much to collective disbeliefs. But the BoE permitted it but due to his age as its not a farfetched thought that children start elementary in later years thus graduate older than they should with the oldest starting at 7-8. He can only pull this off ONLY ONCE and after that, REALLY go to High School. So again, he's still a Senior and still Head of the Disciplinary Committee. Kusakabe had long since graduated, but still works for him every after school. That's loyalty over there.

Around May however...

Hibari Kyoya is pissed.

There have been attacks on Namimori Town's schools...starting with his school's students who have either a sports background or martial arts background. At first he thought nothing of it but the attacks are too systematic for comfort in all co-ed schools on boys, he began imposing rules that due to attacks on the students(beating the crap out of them and pulling their teeth out), he ordered all teachers to tell their kids who would tell their parents to personally take their kids home. To those whose parents are not available, a teacher will take them home. Effective immediately or he'll bite them to death.

Gokudera wondered if Bianchi will be the one to take him and Tsuna home though. She's only 17, they're 14...

'Nee oniisan, Bianchi isn't exactly an adult yet but she's the oldest person in my house since she's Reborn's girlfriend...would she count?' Tsuna asked Hibari who openly twitched. 17 was still underage. You're only an adult if you're 20. And Reborn...despite all he's done, he's JUST A BABY! So as the strongest and eldest in their group, offered to take Tsuna and Gokudera home to the apartment where Tsuna lives and Hibari will handle his own dinner and she is NOT to leave home. Hibari broke his own imposed rules to protect them both...even though in Gokudera's private opinion, Tsuna was more than enough for the whole frigging city.

xxx

'So there are systematic attacks in Namimori's Schools and those found beaten, all had their teeth pulled out for boys, while girls suffered shock at being beaten.' Bianchi read the paper she had while Tsuna made dinner. 'All these kids have stellar records in either sports or martial arts. I have taken some blood samples off these kids in question so maybe you can pull something off, Tsuna?'

'We'll have to go to Tomoeda for Shien-sama for that.' said Tsuna. 'I know Divination but Divination works better for Darkness and Moon-inclined magicians than Sun-inclined like me. I'll just get barely-there results despite my strength.' she explained.

'Oh...'

'I tried that once...well, that's how I know.' said Tsuna sheepishly before serving Dinner. 'Fuuta-chan, will you do us a Ranking on possible attackers on the students? Oh, and in the living room please.' she added quickly, eyeing the food she just cooked.

'OK!' they all ran to the living room for Fuuta to work.

He contacted the Ranking Planet that caused everything and everyone to float...

'The most possible attackers of students are 1. Joshima Ken, 2. Kakimoto Chikusa.'

'Then specified targets?' Reborn asked Fuuta while still in his state of hypnotic ranking.

'1. the most targeted is Vongola Decimo.' this was to their disbelief. '2. is Vongola Guardians...' and that was it.

'U-us?!' Tsuna cried shrilly. 'I never even met these people!'

'Vongola Decimo and guardians are being targeted. This means they're mafia!' Gokudera growled. He would never let them touch even a hair strand on his juudaime, ever!

'Its not far-fetched for rival families to target the successors of their rivals to screw up succession.' said Bianchi. 'So these two must be hunting down sports and martial arts-inclined middle schoolers in a bid to root you out.'

'Oniisan, Yamamoto and Sasagawa-san...they don't even know about the mafia yet are one of the town's best fighters too...' Tsuna choked out fearfully.

'Sasagawa-san can be easily manipulated since he's an idiot.' Gokudera advised Tsuna. 'We can tell him that news about girls being hurt by the culprits so he would never leave his sister alone and we can persuade his sister to play the 'scared girl' card so turf top will never leave home and pick fights.'

'We can do that...now where is our copy of the school directory...you go call Yamamoto's father, I'll handle Kyoko-san.' the two teens took out their cell phones. Tsuna's job was a bit harder given the mentality of the Sasagawa brother but still...with well-placed words even with Bianchi's help in 'scripting' across her as Tsuna had no manipulative bone in her body which is why the siblings do that for her but she's learning.

xxx

Sasagawa Kyoko put her phone down shakily.

GIRLS are being attacked too, and she got faxed the photos. Girls from other schools along with records that they were Gymnasts, Sports and Martial Artists in their clubs. Something Kyoko wasn't, but this SCARED her. For boys it was even more brutal. A more than thorough beating, and teeth pulled out! According to police records, the boys responsible wore green clothes, and used 'huge pliers' to yank their teeth out.

Its now up to her to stop her foolhardy brother from going out. With a little tears and scared girl card, he'll surely stay. He promised his fists are for her after all!

xxx

Yamamoto Tsuyoshi put his landline phone down.

He got warnings from one of his son's friends about the new news, and 'grounded' his son, just so he wouldn't suffer multiple broken bones and most of his teeth pulled out. He had great pride in his son who changed a great deal for the good after finding true friends, and his good looks that would ensure him a good girlfriend and a good life, and having no teeth will ruin all that. This was no typical delinquent squabble, this was outright torture and maiming.

Yamamoto was surprised Gokudera phoned his father when they were mostly...rivals for Tsuna's attention even though she paid everyone equal attention with her nurturing personality. Maybe he didn't want to lose a rival to something like this, he figured? Oh well! For Tsuna, he will not come out until this all blows over and given how Hibari is serious about 'his job', it probably wouldn't take long...right?

xxx

Italy...

Iemitsu received word that there are mafia hunting down his daughter and her guardians. A Joshima Ken and Kakimoto Chikusa.

He turned all records upside down to learn that they were Vendicare Prisoners...that, and last month, they and Rokudo Mukuro broke out, along with some criminals!

The fact that they're in Namimori for his daughter got him informing Timoteo...who now gave his order: report to Vendicare and Capture the escaped criminals. That, and its Tsuna's first battle as a mafioso.

Normally, Iemitsu would freak out.

But as his daughter is a sorceress, he has no reason to. This should be easy.

xxx

'...that's our order.' said Reborn as he just told the whole apartment the orders from Timoteo. 'Alright, its your first fight as a Mafioso Tsuna. Nono has given his orders.' Tsuna gulped nervously. 'You'll be fine. You trained under me and you have a power not even he can hope to possess. This should go smoothly but in terms of battle, yes. But criminality? No. Mukuro is a very dangerous man who knew every dirty trick in the book and single-handedly responsible for the deaths of 50 mafia famiglias alone. One famiglia was enough to warrant Vendicare but nobody found out who the culprit is until the death of the 50th famiglia. At age 13. He should be fifteen this year, just a year older than you.'

'50...did you guys know that?' Tsuna asked the siblings, wide-eyed. Bianchi nodded, Gokudera didn't.

'I never knew that...Shamal wouldn't tell me anything beyond my tutoring.' Gokudera grumbled. 'I can't believe the guy became a friggin' criminal at just our age...'

'Well, if he killed 50 families by the time he's 13, I suspect he started younger.' Fuuta shuddered. 'But...' he frowned. 'Why did he turn out that way?'

'Well...that's something only we can ask him and his companions.' said Tsuna as she changed her appearance into a man. She changed into Giotto that made Reborn choke on his tea. Complete with the suit and cape!

'Why that appearance of all things?' he asked with a twitch.

'What? This face is a mafioso face is it not?' Tsuna asked as she did a girly twirl in her disguise. Besides, if Rokudo Mukuro IS after Vongola, he would surely know this face and make my job a tad easier!' Tsuna chirped in girlish delight that made everyone go GREEN at the sight of the founder's countenance doing girly gestures and 'his voice' sounding just as cutesy. 'I be off now!' and she was gone with a fiery disappearance.

'...I need a drink.' was all Reborn could say. 'Preferably a strong one.'

'Love, your body is that of an infant, so that is out of the question.' Bianchi chided. 'If Tsuna 'releases' you, I may consider.' Reborn just sighed.

'Fine, strongest coffee or espresso.'

'You don't see your founder acting all cutesy everyday.' Fuuta mused thoughtfully with amusement twinkling in his eyes.

'Its _disturbing_.' Reborn grunted. Said founder was greatly respected and revered for crying out loud and Tsuna just traumatized him. 'I better warn Vongola.'

xxx

Tsuna as Giotto wandered around Namimori town as a foreign tourist, so nobody bothered 'him'. Vongola had gotten wind that as Tsuna was a 'public mafia unknown', she was masquerading as Giotto as Giotto was too famous in history and hoping this would lure out the Vendicare Escapees, provoking them into attacking 'him' or run like hell for the hills, but she can tell and efficiently do her job.

She went to the hospital in order to get the appearances of her targets as she never got the chance to at home.

A blonde 'wild' boy with a scar across his face, and a boy wearing a beanie on his head. Both clad in green clothes. These kids met either boy. It was random. And meeting them was up to luck. Bad luck, that is. They only appear early in the morning or every after school.

So she tried after school since she is busy every morning while taking care of watching over Hibari...who's leaving Namimori?

Frowning, she followed him. She knew Hibari figured out who they are and their location. Just that, she was sure he didn't know they were Mafia.

He's in danger.


	16. The Maiden, Strikes

The Maiden, Strikes

Kokuyo Land...

Rokudo Mukuro, age 15 and the youngest criminal ever to grace Vendicare's Walls waited in an office in the Theater Building, sitting on the couch.

He came here with his followers in a bid to search for the new heiress of Vongola.

They were responsible for the deaths of Enrico and Massimo while somebody else got to Frederico. Not even they had the power to reduce a human to bone for crying out loud but Mukuro didn't want to fuck with whoever did it but oh well, whoever did, did their job for them.

Thanks a lot!

He thought that Vongola will collapse now that all legal heirs are dead...until he got wind that a young girl younger than him, was now heiress and in training under the Arcobaleno Reborn.

After some hacking and downloading, they discovered that Sawada Tsuna, the lovely daughter of CEDEF Leader's Sawada Iemitsu was also of a direct line through her father(who was ineligible due to his position). Her current location was secret yet her school records are up in database? Sure...all they had to do was go to Sonozaki Gakuen in Tokyo and wrangle the information out of the Faculty and bam, here they are in Kokuyo, a town next to Namimori where she now resides for a year and some months.

She had a falling out with her mother who had 'quite' the personality, ran until somehow ending up in Tokyo where a foster family adopted her and discovered she had Brain Damage caused by faulty Flame Sealing in a bid to hide her when she was a child. As a result, she has poor memory worse than an Alzheimer's sufferer and incredibly clumsy due to her balancing ability affected horribly. At school, she was horribly bullied that led to a big fight with her mother and she ran until her foster family who have powerful flame abilities(but not mafia and living as religious Shinto Priests) unsealed her and helped her recover. She also grew up trained to be a priestess, unaware of her situation...until they found out that she was missing, and Vongola turned every database in Japan upside-down and found her in Tokyo...and learned why she was there...and of her life with her foster family. He learned of her knowledge of religion, rituals, etc and her love of sweets to the point she could expertly make her own. But due to her obsession with shedding a past that wasn't really her fault, she never knew how to socialize with peers and understand human relationships beyond her relationship with her father, foster father and foster sister. She was mentally child-like, innocent in many aspects beyond her current knowledge.

He also read updates sent by Reborn on various dates.

She managed to gain the whole Arcobaleno's respect and allegiance by twisting their curse but she could not fully remove it as the caster's will was too strong for her and the will was connected to their pacifiers. As a result, all Arcobaleno are capable of 'Partial Release: Full Potential' wherein if they feel their life is in severe danger, they can momentarily regain their true forms and full fighting powers and abilities while Lal, a corrupted Arcobaleno, can regain back her true flame type along with temporary adulthood. As a result of this, the Giglio Nero allied with Vongola. It was never elaborated upon what she did for the Sky Arcobaleno though...

She also created a Prototype 'Seal Ring' for Poison Chefs and product is being tested by Poison Scorpion Bianchi until she could create a perfected Seal Ring so Poison Chefs can temporarily seal their poison powers as long as its worn. However, if their flames are channeled into the rings, their powers as Poison Chefs would be inverted and turned into 'Antidote Cooking', the only cure to Poison Cooking. If Poison Cooking appears in toxic colors with bugs(for reasons nobody knows why), Antidote Cooking appears as pure, shiny gold and incredibly delicious(there are photos and videos of Bianchi cooking). As a result of this knowledge, Vongola had a lot of people interested in the project, particularly the Scorpion's father. Due to this, Trident Shamal was sent to where Vongola Decimo is to help in the research as he is the most knowledgeable person in regards to the power. Then she gained her first guardian, Gokudera 'Smoking Bomb' Hayato taking the position of Storm who trained under Trident Shamal and the Rain Arcobaleno Colonello. That, and she is under training as well.

So in their current fighting force, there's herself, Smoking Bomb, Poison Scorpion, Reborn and Trident Shamal against himself, Ken, Chikusa, Birds, M.M and the Bloody Twins. However, Tsuna is ordered to fight them alone!

Vongola must have gotten overconfident of their heiress...something he'll exploit and relish.

He took a look at a photo of Tsuna. Lovely, child-like girl with incredibly long hair, keeping to old traditions of priestesses wearing their hair long. He controlled some students into taking photos without getting the notice of the hot-headed bomb-user and that other boy who are incredibly overprotective of her. Not only that, she was also close to the self-proclaimed protector of her town she endearingly calls 'oniisan' and so far, she was the only person 'not bitten' by the boy.

Intriguing.

She is dangerous but the danger part was held back by her current mentality. They have no idea of her true potential which is why he intends on snuffing it out while he could...

'Gah!'

'Uwaaah!'

'Ugh!'

Someone's here.

He felt a powerful flame presence. A Sky.

He smirked.

The young princess is here. Shall he say hello? Too bad his subordinates aren't here...too busy goofing off on students.

More fun for him.

Though he wasn't expecting Hibari Kyoya to come in, not the girl...but her presence on him is very strong. 'Namimori's self-proclaimed guardian...I have heard plenty about you.' Mukuro greeted amiably while sitting on the moth-eaten couch like a king.

**Oniisan...** both boys stiffened at Tsuna's gentle voice. **I will handle this man.** **Please step back.** Mukuro noted that she uses the same form of speech he does. Sure he studied formal Japanese but only to sound more mocking than casual Japanese.

'Tsuna?! Where are you? I thought I strictly told you to stay home!' Hibari scolded as he looked around. But Tsuna...just materialized into the room like a GHOST that made him balk. She is fit to fight in her appearance, wearing black skimpy clothes with knee-high boots that greatly contradicted her gentle, innocent personality. 'Tsu...na?' He could NOT believe it. She usually wears clothes that make her look like a doll or very feminine yet casual-elegant dresses. Not this...this...

She wore a white arm belt with silver buckle on her left arm with add-on sleeves. Then a cropped zip-up top a little zipped down for a deep red tube top to be seen, and an inch longer than her black top. After that, revealing her figure is a pair of hot pants, and translucent black tights. There's a black choker around her neck with a silver cross accessory.

It was like, totally out of character.

Like in some games and anime, a girl is captured and made to wear such clothes by the enemy or something just for kicks!

And he's known about her...gulp...figure but only in the legs and rear department but IS HER CHEST REAL?!

'Remember I told you that because of daddy's job I took up fighting? I didn't exactly tell you the whole truth...but if I am to tell you, I have to break the 'Code of Silence' because uh...we're not really affiliated to the police or any law...' she stammered nervously. '...but I must have permission to break it first or I'll really get in trouble, see?' she said in a sheepish apologetic manner. 'But daddy's orders is for me to fight this person as my first job.'

'But isn't he just a trouble-making delinquent?' Hibari frowned, questioning her as Mukuro let out a creepy laugh.

'Fufufufu...fufuhahahaha...me, a delinquent? My, how lowly you think of me when I'm far better than that, little bird.' Mukuro's insult raised Hibari's hackles.

'Oniisan, he is a year younger than you but a very dangerous criminal to ever grace the walls of the world's inescapable prison and is definitely dangerous enough to break out of it. Leave him to me.' Tsuna pleaded. 'If I was allowed to break Silence, I'd tell you everything...for now, he's definitely not alone. Can you deal with them instead?' she asked as Mukuro took initiative...and all hell broke loose.

'Waaah!' she yelped as Hibari found himself within a blue ice barrier.

Hibari soon learned why this kid is incredibly dangerous.

What the HECK was going on here? Pillars of fire and random things appearing to strike Tsuna while she uses weapons made out of ice, and can fly and appear in places in a fast blink!

He could only gape.

Maybe THIS is why there's that Code of Silence shit?

If Tsuna can fight like this, then why is Reborn making her fight him till she could beat him? He doesn't get it.

Frustrated, he called Gokudera, her puppy-bodyguard.

xxx

'Ehhhh?! That delinquent you hunted down turned out to be Rokudo Mukuro?!' everyone in the house paused. 'And Tsuna-sama is with you?! Oy oy, not even I can break Silence! I'm just a low-level subordinate unless ojousama is of age!' Gokudera sputtered out as many heads in the house turned to him. 'T-talk to Reborn-san? Sure...' he gave his phone to Reborn.

'Hibari?' Reborn spoke after getting the phone. Hibari now saw the powers of flames but Tsuna has yet to use sorcery. Tsuna swore to never use her magic unless direly needed. 'Hooo? If I tell you...there's no turning back. You'll be in our world forever, unable to go back to being just a civilian. Not even Yamamoto knows.' Reborn warned him. 'As for Tsuna's fighting ability you see now, she's enhancing herself with her powers which is why I want her fighting ability to be as good as, or better than yours by sparring with you after you spar with me. Had she been fighting on just pure ability, she would still lose against you. But right now she's using her powers as she's fighting a really dangerous criminal. And Tsuna may be my student, but not even I can go against her wishes in keeping you two out of it and the reason I train you two was from her wish to protect you. She wants to keep you and Yamamoto out of our world as much as possible...she will only obtain permission to break Omerta from her father or her predecessor...or if THEY show up personally to collect Mukuro. That's that.' and he terminated the call.

xxx

Hibari wondered who THEY are.

Reborn put emphasis on that word.

So far, Tsuna is winning over this fight, but Mukuro took out...a grenade?!

'Wha?!'

'See you!' and he tossed the grenade at them, prompting Tsuna to freak out and escape with Hibari back to her apartment in flames. When they were gone, Mukuro just laughed as he tossed his head back in laughter as the grenade, still in mid-air vanished.

'Fufufu...I can't believe she thought it was real!' he snickered. She was on the verge of defeating him after all!

He IS the master of deceit, trickery and foul play after all.

But for now...OWWWW...he'll have to recover a bit.

He winced from his injuries.

Next time, he'll go all out on that girl. He just gauged her abilities, that's all.

'That princess is pretty good...but...' he frowned as he looked back. In their fights, she only wore the expression of child-like silence. No bloodlust, no aggressiveness...things you'd normally feel in a fight. If he could compare her expression...it was akin to _playing video games with apt concentration_! Now that he saw that, he thought, "WTF?" with an expression to match. That, or she never knew his many feats and accomplishments enough to make even a hardened mafioso puke, she was just told to 'find him, beat him and go home' by her father. She's probably still being sheltered by that father of hers...had she known, she'll probably use all means to kill him...if she even had the guts to.

For now, he'll have to look for a new Hideout. The Vindice, sensing their powers, will be here soon!

Two minutes later, they were there indeed...but all they saw were remains of Sky Flames turned to ice...

xxx

'Tsuna-sama! Hibari!' Gokudera cried as the two reappeared in the apartment with Tsuna looking a little messed up...before he suffered a nosebleed from what she's wearing. 'Gah!'

'How'd it go?' Bianchi asked her, ignoring her brother's 'plight'.

'He threw a grenade, we had to get out of there!' Tsuna scowled. 'Even with my barrier, we'll still get hurt in a bad way so I retreated for now.' she sighed. 'I'll come back another time after we find him again...'

'Tsuna...' Hibari mused as Tsuna remembered she was still holding him in her arms. 'Can you **get your _breasts_ off my face _now_**?!' he groused out in annoyance with a blush on his face as the entire right side of his face, is pressed against her breasts. Bianchi snorted, holding back laughter, Fuuta covered his eyes with one hand while covering Lambo's with the other, Gokudera looked JEALOUS and Reborn..._has a dark shadow on his face_.

'Huh? What's wrong about that? And why are you red niisan? You look like a apple...' Tsuna blinked owlishly with a cartoonish look on her face.

'Study social norms, will you?!' Hibari scolded when a black hole appeared...and out came tall, bandaged figures in bandages.

Hibari noted the unusually tense atmosphere in the house coming from the others who wasn't Tsuna.

She just stared at them curiously.

**Cielo...your presence is detected in Kokuyo Land along with Mukuro Rokudo.** one of them spoke in a creepy voice in Japanese. **State your identity.**

'Vongola Decimo in training, Sawada Tsuna.' said Tsuna. 'My first mission from my family was to defeat and capture him but...he got away.' she said in utter disappointment in herself while complaining about it. 'I'll have to hunt him down again.'

**Very well. But we are also here as they are also our job. I suppose good luck with whoever gets to him and the other escapees first.** said another when Tsuna remembered something.

'Oh! I almost forgot!' Tsuna exclaimed as she snapped her fingers and out came a wooden chest. 'I have here the perfected Seal Rings! Ah~! I'm glad Dr. Shamal came, I was able to finish them~!' she chirped happily in a child-like carefree way before going serious but still smiling. 'I would like to entrust these Seal Rings in your care.' she said. 'I once thought of having Vongola distribute the rings for the sake of Poison Chefs but what would happen to these rings when I'm gone someday? I created these rings with the intention of helping Poison Chefs but given our background...these rings will soon come at a very unfair price when I'm long gone from this world.' she said grimly.

'So for their sake, I ask of you to take care of Ring Licensing, Distribution and Retrieval when hopeful owners come and current owners pass away and all Poison Chefs will come to Vendicare to get one. Inside this chest is 99 Seal Rings given the rarity of Poison Chef births. Bianchi's already wearing the hundredth and her license came from me but should she die, her ring will be returned to Vendicare as well.' she continued. 'That, and a CD I also created with magic as a Computer Software Program which can be installed in any computer, enabling the Vindice to track down the rings in a Radar System. If the owner is alive, their positions on the map will glow according to their flames. However, if they die, their positions will turn black. If their ring is not worn but still on their person, the color will turn white. But if the ring is lost, it will blink on the map and show who lost it.'

**How are these rings made? **another asked. **This project has become infamous among our kind.**

'I'm a sorceress.' Tsuna flared her magic in a friendly way, complete with a magic circle much to numerous disbeliefs who wasn't Vongola members. 'Those rings are pure magic created from my own power. They cannot be replicated through any means. With current resources in Earth, its impossible to make those rings. Not even objects of Tri-Ni-Set can break it thus as their origins are similar.' she explained. 'However, the only ones who know of my powers are the Arcobaleno, and in Vongola the people in this room, my father, and certain members of CEDEF...and now, you. I cannot trust others with this knowledge.' she said with a grim expression. 'If people in our...kind of affiliation find out what I am, I can only imagine what they'll do as a reaction. And there's absolutely no way I'm teaching magic to our...kind unless I sense pure intentions from hopeful apprentices!' she shuddered. 'My teachers warned me about choosing students!'

**Very well. We will take these rings and consider this mission. And we will now seek approval from our leader.** the Vindice took the chest and vanished.

'...those guys have leaders?' Gokudera croaked out while blinking owlishly.

'Of course they have, you dolt.' Reborn scoffed. 'The Vindice may be upholding our laws, but its the leader who created those laws we follow. Otherwise, it'll be war.' he said. 'How civilians portray us in movies will become certain reality and body count will rise. Its thanks to them that lines are drawn and not crossed.'

'Tsuna, is your powers not an affiliation secret which is why you freely spoke of it?' Hibari raised an eyebrow. Tsuna looked sheepish.

'No...anyone, as long as there's potential, can learn magic.' said Tsuna. 'Its in our discretion to reveal it on our own. But we will tell only those we can trust. Otherwise we'll just have to make them forget.'


End file.
